For the G7 meeting, Ukraine and customs duties on the menu – Liberation

Go to Canada this Tuesday, May 20 for the Great Argentiers of the G7. It is in the west of the country, in the case of the Banff National Park, that the finance ministers of the major industrialized democracies (United States, Japan, Germany, France, France, Italy and Canada) are found until Friday. As a special guest, Kyiv, auxururant of discussions Around war with Russiawhile another conflict-commercial that one-is in all heads.

Behind the smiles of circumstance, the family photo of the members of the G7 may be tarnished by the increase in the grounds for division since the return to power of Donald Trump, in January. The American president caused a shock wave around the world in early April by instituting new customs duties on most of the products entering the United States. Since then, he has partially walked back and sealed a commercial agreement touted as « historical » with London. Taxes on imported products However, there are much higher than before his return to the White House, raising fears of a generalized economic slowdown. « It will be an unusual G7 » Because the surcharges have thrown a cold between these allied countries, believes Ananya Kumar, researcher at the Atlantic Council reflection center.

G7 members are now trying to convince Donald Trump to come back to his customs duties and should hurry during the meeting around his Minister Scott Bessent. The secretary of the Treasury seemed, on several occasions, to influence the presidential positions. He also recently negotiated with Beijing relaxation After customs duties have reached an exorbitant level on both sides.

According to a spokesman for his ministry, Scott Bessent will plead so that the G7 « Return to its fundamentals and focuses on the resolution of imbalances (commercial) and unfair practices within and outside the G7 ».

A source of the intentions of the American delegation indicated that it awaited a common condemnation of Production overcapacity in Chinaas a source of destabilization of the industries of other countries.

G7 meetings are chaired this year by Canada – One of President Trump’s favorite targets. The Canadian Minister of Finance, François-Philippe Champagne, in this function only since March, invited his Ukrainian counterpart, Sergii Marchenko. The two men will hold a press conference just before the official launch of the Grand Argentiers of the G7.

Kyiv wants to convince Washington to impose new sanctions on Russia. Now Donald Trump has made a spectacular rapprochement with Moscow, even if he has recently appeared less conciliatory. For Europeans, one of the priorities in Banff will be to ensure that the G7 displays its support « Unequivocal » In Ukraine, according to a diplomatic source.

A year ago, a meeting of the G7 Finance made it possible to move towards an agreement to use the interests generated by the Russian sovereign assets which were frozen in retaliation of the invasion by Russia of Ukraine in February 2022.