Russian operation to expel Ukrainian forces in final stage, claims Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, following visit to region by President Vladimir Putin

• Trump hints at financial repercussions if Russia rejects Ukraine ceasefire

Foreign ministers of leading western democracies will meet in Canada on Thursday after seven weeks of rising tensions between Trump and US allies over his upending of foreign policy on Ukraine and imposing of tariffs.

The Group of Seven ministers from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, along with the EU, meet in the remote tourist town of La Malbaie, nestled in the Quebec hills for two days of meetings that in the past have broadly been consensual on the issues they face.

Top of the agenda for Washington’s partners will be getting a debriefing on US secretary of state Marco Rubio’s talks on Tuesday with Kyiv in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where Ukraine said it was ready to support a 30-day ceasefire deal.

But in the run-up to the first G7 meeting of Canada’s presidency, the crafting of an agreed all-encompassing final statement has been tough, Reuters reports:

A US decision to impose 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminium imports immediately drew reciprocal measures from Canada and the EU, underscoring the tensions.

Washington has sought to impose red lines on language around Ukraine and opposed a separate declaration on curbing Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, a murky shipping network that eludes sanctions, while demanding more robust language on China.

On Monday, Rubio cautioned that Washington did not want language that could harm efforts to bring Russia and Ukraine to the table. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday he said a good G7 statement would recognise that the United States has moved the process to end the war forward.

G7 diplomats said the positive outcome from Jeddah may at least ease talks on Ukraine.

The United States, since Trump’s return to office on 20 January, has taken a less-friendly stance on Ukraine, pushing for a quick deal to end the war, demanded European partners take on more of the burden without openly endorsing their role in future talks, and warmed Washington’s ties with Moscow.