Key Takeaways for Canada at the G7 Summit | The Security Brief

[00:00:00]Well, had the Iran war still been ongoing, I think it's fair to say Evian would have been uh short of a brawl, rising oil prices, inflation, a defensive and combustible US president.

[00:00:21]But, because President Trump arrived at the summit having secured an agreement uh with the Iranians to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and start negotiations on some of the more intractable issues, such as Iran's nuclear program, it became, it being the summit, became much more of a victory lap.

[00:00:52]And that allowed the other six uh countries attending the summit uh to press upon the United States the importance of supporting Ukraine and also increasing sanctions on Russia.

[00:01:13]For Canada, the timing of the summit, I think it's fair to say, was critical because Evian sat or right on the cusp of uh the Kuzma renewal negotiations that start uh officially on July 1st.

[00:01:34]And this made Evian essentially an informal pre-negotiation for Canada uh on its most consequential economic file, namely uh the future of its trade relationship with the United States.

[00:01:52]And for our Prime Minister, Evian was a bit of a tightrope.

[00:01:57]Uh, he's had his differences uh, with President Trump.

[00:02:03]But, it was quite clear that he was softening his tone at Evian to nudge the president along without necessarily provoking him. You know, the the headline that comes out of the summit, uh, and it really wasn't what the summit was about, but they spent quite a lot of time talking about it was the US-Iran memorandum of understanding, uh, the 14-point interim framework, the 60-day ceasefire, uh, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, uh, as I mentioned earlier, the deferring of the nuclear question, uh, but preliminary discussions about what kind of role the allies might play in ensuring that, uh, the strait stays open for business, uh, and that, um, that 60-day ceasefire, uh, stays in effect and obviously continues, uh, after, uh, that, uh, period has ended.

[00:03:13]I think in many ways, in in terms of the statements, and there were a series of uh, agreed statements that came out of the summit, uh, the most decisive outcome was the geopolitical statement on Ukraine.

[00:03:31]The G7 went hard on Ukraine in the sense of uh, committing themselves to strengthening Ukraine's air defenses, providing long-range systems, uh, uh, energy support, uh, for next winter, uh, raising new sanctions against Russia, and obviously clear unanimity including the Americans when it comes uh to dealing uh with Vladimir Putin.

[00:04:01]Um there were a series of other declarations, for example, uh one on migrant smuggling uh carrying forward uh some of the earlier uh declarations uh at Apulia and Cannanaskis uh added adding uh targeted sanctions on smuggling networks.

[00:04:23]Um uh uh but you know, balancing uh you know, all these concerns about maintaining state sovereignty over borders with uh refugee protection.

[00:04:36]There were also supporting declarations on critical minerals. That's important for Canada as uh potentially a major provider of critical minerals to its G7 uh partners. Uh online safety for minors um uh dealing with the Ebola crisis uh in in Africa. Uh those statements filled out obviously uh uh the uh the agenda.

[00:05:05]Um and it was also an opportunity, I mean, for for Canada uh to announce that it was going to uh be opening new jet trainer talks with uh Italy. Uh that too, uh I think uh was important. Um that would have been planned obviously before the summit, but um it was announced uh at uh at the summit and Canada, uh you know, itself announced new fresh sanctions against uh Russia. So all in all, um to me you know, the the biggest surprise uh was uh really the unanimity uh uh around uh continuing support for Ukraine at what is obviously a very important point in that conflict which has reached a stalemate. Obviously a desire to put more pressure on Russia to come to the negotiating table.

[00:06:04]You know, indirectly the summit did have an effect potential effect on Kuzma. I mean, obviously Kuzma wasn't on the formal G7 agenda.

[00:06:17]But Evian I think it's fair to say helped to shape the weather if I could use that metaphor around the renewal window that opens on July 1st. Um, there was some real spade work on the sidelines of Evian. Our trade minister uh, trade minister LeBlanc met with uh um, and our chief negotiator met with US trade representative Greer. They reported progress in in those discussions. Um, those obviously took place on the side of of the formal talks among G7 leaders.

[00:07:09]Um, and I think that it may have helped diffuse some of the tensions. Um, you know, Trump in victory lap mode which he was at the summit is in some ways easier to deal with. That I think was illustrated by the hot mic exchange where he warmed clearly warmed to the structure of Canada's capped Chinese electric vehicle deal.

[00:07:41]He didn't threaten retaliation. He seemed to indicate that, you know, uh, the way Canada had approached those negotiations was acceptable to him.

[00:07:51]So, um, but, you know, let's be honest. The bottom line is that Evian decided nothing on Khuzami, but it may have lowered the temperature uh, at uh, at a propitious moment. Um, and um, uh, you know, our Prime Minister was able to uh, help the President uh, take uh, take a bow uh, with his very generous comments about uh, the memorandum uh, that the President uh, has signed with Iran.