G7 Summit in Canada: Will Ukraine Have a Diplomatic Victory?

The G7 summit in Canada is unlikely to result in a final communiqué on the Russian-Ukrainian war and a joint decision on new sanctions against Russia. Against this backdrop, Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin continues his diplomatic game, under the guise of “peace talks.”

This opinion was expressed on the air of “Pryamoy” by Oleg Shamshur, a diplomat, former ambassador to the USA and France.

“Of course, we wanted to preserve the tradition of pre-Trump summits, when we expected specific actions and decisions from each summit that would help Ukraine in the fight against Russian aggression. I understand that a general document, a final communiqué, is not expected due to a number of issues. The contradiction concerns not only Ukraine, but, of course, this issue worries us most,” Shamshur noted.

“This shows how much Trump has managed to turn everything upside down. Things that we thought were absolutely clear have now become unobvious again. It is not clear whether any decision will be reached, most likely not, on lowering the price ceiling for Russian oil, and whether the president of Ukraine will be able to agree on such issues as the sale of weapons by the United States, such as continuing intelligence sharing,” the diplomat emphasized.

At the same time, according to him, the G7 countries are unlikely to make a joint decision on new sanctions against Russia.

“The EU can introduce the 18th package on its own, no one stands in the way. But, of course, these sanctions are effective when they are coordinated between the US and the European Union. We’ll see, but, in principle, there are no signs that there will be any breakthroughs. We have already talked about the ceiling on Russian oil. As we know, Trump is against further lowering, he has already made statements that he is against imposing sanctions. Although he says that he will impose them, and then says, no, he will not impose them. To be honest, I believe more that he will not impose them. And I think that we can hardly expect breakthroughs here,” Shamshur explains.

In addition, the diplomat noted that currently, Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin continues to play his diplomatic game, under the guise of a negotiation process for a peaceful settlement and trying to achieve his goals on the front.

“What is happening now is Putin’s diplomatic game in order to cover up negotiations to achieve his goals at the front. As we know, the offensive continues. In order to delay the issue of sanctions… and, of course, to expand the gap of opportunities to continue negotiations and play with Donald Trump. As we see, Putin knows how to talk to Trump. He is aware that Trump is really not satisfied, that his plan is not being implemented. At the same time, he understands that Trump wants to preserve until the last the opportunity to talk to Putin precisely as a partner, and not as an enemy. And he will continue to play on this,” explains former ambassador to the United States and France Oleg Shamshur.

As a reminder, the 51st G7 summit of leaders is taking place from Sunday to Tuesday, June 17, in the remote resort town of Kananaskis in Canada. The G7 includes the United States, Canada, France, Italy, Japan, Germany, and the United Kingdom. In addition to the main participants, representatives of the European Union have been invited to the summit, as well as other leaders invited by the summit host, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

Earlier it was reported that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump are preparing to meet on the sidelines of the G7 summit. The dialogue between the leaders is expected to take place in the format of a bilateral meeting outside the official part of the forum. Zelensky last met with Trump on April 26 in Rome, where both leaders are attending the farewell ceremony for Pope Francis.

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