G7 summit focuses on Ukraine war, China’s grip on global minerals supply

The Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers convened in Canada’s Niagara region on Tuesday for high-stakes discussions centered on Ukraine’s ongoing war and China’s tightening control over global mineral supply chains.

The two-day meeting, hosted near the US border, brings together foreign ministers from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States.

At the heart of the talks is the search for sustainable ways to support Ukraine as it continues to face relentless Russian assaults. The discussions come weeks after US President Donald Trump imposed sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies, intensifying pressure on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine. Washington has also urged European allies to curb imports of Russian energy, arguing that such revenues fuel the Kremlin’s war machine.

Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand said the Niagara talks would prioritize global cooperation, noting that representatives from Saudi Arabia, India, Brazil, Australia, South Africa, Mexico, and South Korea have been invited. “It is important to foster a broader multilateral conversation, especially in such a volatile environment,” she told AFP.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to hold bilateral discussions with Anand on Wednesday, focusing on security coordination, Ukraine aid mechanisms, and global trade stability.

While the Ukraine conflict remains a dominant theme, the G7 meeting is also addressing other major crises — including the worsening war in Sudan, where humanitarian access remains severely restricted. Italy’s foreign ministry confirmed that efforts to deliver aid and stabilize conditions in the region will feature prominently in the agenda.

Another focal point is China’s dominance over critical minerals — essential resources for high-tech manufacturing and clean energy technologies. The G7 has expressed growing concern over Beijing’s control of rare earth processing and refining capacities, which underpin much of the world’s renewable and defense industries.

Last month, G7 energy ministers agreed on a series of projects aimed at diversifying and strengthening mineral supply chains, explicitly seeking alternatives to China-dependent routes. A senior US State Department official said ahead of the Niagara meeting that economic resilience would be “a major point of focus,” emphasizing that “economic security is national security.”