Washington is reportedly working to soften language targeting Russia in the final communiqué of the upcoming G7 foreign ministers’ meeting, Bloomberg has reported, citing a draft of the joint statement and sources familiar with the matter.
The Group of Seven, which includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, and the US, is set to meet next week in Charlevoix, Canada.
According to Bloomberg’s report published on Saturday, the Trump administration is pushing to strengthen language on China while “watering down” wording on Russia. The US wants to remove the term “sanctions” from the final statement and replace references to Russia’s “ability to maintain its war” with “earn revenue.”
Washington has also reportedly rejected Canada’s proposal to establish a task force to monitor the so-called ‘shadow fleet’ of oil tankers that Western nations claim Russia is using to bypass sanctions on energy exports. In the final weeks of the Biden administration, the US blacklisted more than 180 vessels allegedly involved in transporting Russian oil illegally. Moscow insists that all Western sanctions are unlawful and denies operating a ‘shadow fleet.’
President Donald Trump has reversed his predecessor’s strategy of “isolating” Russia on the world stage, reopening direct talks that had been suspended since 2022. He has repeatedly emphasized his priority is ending the conflict through diplomacy, focusing on securing a ceasefire between Moscow and Kiev.
Last week, Trump suggested that the US could lift sanctions “at some point” during peace negotiations. However, he has since warned Moscow of new “large-scale” sanctions until a ceasefire and a “final settlement agreement on peace” are reached.
Moscow has maintained that Western sanctions have failed to weaken or isolate Russia, instead harming the countries that imposed them. Russian officials have also stated that no amount of foreign pressure will alter their military objectives.
Source: RT
Bd-Pratidin English / Jisan
