Key takeaways
- Canada announced sanctions on 38 entities and 24 individuals in Paris, targeting Russia's defence industry and financial enablers.
- Germany and France say Europe must have a place in US-mediated Ukraine talks, but no joint G7 communiqué is expected.
- Rubio says post-war security architecture is a key topic, yet nothing has been finalised and Iran talks show no progress.
Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand announced additional sanctions on Russia on Monday, 9 November, on the margins of the Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers' meeting in Paris. Global Affairs Canada, Ottawa's foreign ministry, said the package lists 38 entities and 24 individuals. It names elements of Russia's defence industrial base, including actors involved in ballistic missile technology development and cyber activities. It also names financial enablers, including crypto exchanges.
Ministers from the United States, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan began two days of talks under France's G7 presidency. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio landed at Le Bourget airport on the outskirts of Paris. AP photo captions show US ambassador Charles Kushner and his wife Seryl greeting him. The meeting had long been scheduled for Marseille. It moved to Paris at the last minute, with only scheduling reasons given, AFP reported. The French hosts have already signalled there will be no joint communiqué, AP reported.
What Ottawa says it is targeting
Canada says Russia relies on sanctions-evasion networks to sustain its military operations. The stated aim is to constrain Russia's capacity to strike civilian targets in Ukraine. In the release, Anand said: "Canada is taking action to undermine Putin's capacity to strike Ukrainian cities with its missiles. We remain steadfast in our support for Ukraine and will continue to impose costs on Russia until it ends its aggression and respects Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity."
Since 2014, Canada has sanctioned more than 3,500 individuals and entities and over 700 vessels, according to Global Affairs Canada.
The Russia-Ukraine war, the Iran conflict, energy and artificial intelligence are among the main topics, AP reported. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha joins a session on support for Ukraine on Tuesday, 10 November.
Observers are reading: how Europe's sanctions, statements and Exercise Koalicja compare with where the Ukraine and Iran decisions sit.
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What to watch on Tuesday
Reports from Monday did not describe any G7 outcome on the Ukraine talks. On X, Sybiha said his focus would be steps towards de-escalation and peace, stronger protection of Ukrainian skies, more pressure on the aggressor, and freedom of navigation in the Black Sea. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he spoke with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Monday to coordinate positions before Abu Dhabi, the Straits Times reported.
Two things will show whether Europe's presence changes anything. One is whether Tuesday's Ukraine session produces more than statements. The other is what Abu Dhabi yields on 10 and 11 November. The US framework, taken to Putin in October, included the idea of a trilateral meeting of the US, Ukrainian and Russian leaders, Zelensky said. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said then that Moscow would listen but rule out "any political concessions".
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