Canada’s position on having Russia back in G7: ‘No way this will happen,’ Joly says

Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly discusses Canada-United States relations during a luncheon with the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal in Montreal on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly says Canada is firmly opposed to having Russia reinstated in the G7 as U.S. President Donald Trump has suggested.

During a news conference at an international security conference in Munich, Germany on Saturday, Joly was asked if she and her international colleagues discussed re-admitting Russia into the group.

“No we didn’t, and I am telling the position of Canada: No way this will happen,” she said.

The meeting of foreign ministers during the Munich Security Conference was the first one under Canada’s 2025 presidency. Joly also announced she will host her counterparts in Charlevoix, Que., on March 12-14.

Russia used to be part of what was known as the Group of Eight until other members suspended Moscow in 2014 over the invasion of Ukraine that resulted in Russia taking over Crimea.

Trump argued Thursday that Russia should have retained its membership in the group and suggested it could have prevented the full-scale invasion that Moscow launched in February 2022.

“It’s not a question of liking Russia or not liking Russia,” Trump said. “I’d love to have them back. I think it was a mistake to throw them out.”

Federal Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre has said Russia should not be let back in.

“Russia’s exclusion from the G7 is every bit as justifiable today,” he posted on X, arguing the Conservatives led the push to exclude Moscow in 2014.

Joly said the G7 remains committed to supporting Ukraine, and that Ukraine and European allies must have a seat at the table for any peace talks to end the war.

During a panel discussion on trade at the Munich conference, Joly said Canada’s plan to retaliate if Trump follows through on his threat to slap Canadian goods with across-the-board tariffs has drawn the attention of the Republican administration and fuelled a recent surge in support for the Liberal party.

Joly told European leaders they could learn from Canada’s experiences dealing with Trump.

“So my point to all of you is, we are the canary in the coal mine,” she told the audience. “If the U.S. administration is doing that to Canada, you’re next.”

The minister said there was a “big change” when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded to Trump’s initial threats by saying Canada would impose 25 per cent retaliatory tariffs on $155 billion worth of U.S. goods and respond swiftly to any steel and aluminum import taxes if they are imposed on Canada.

The U.S. government immediately took notice when stock markets started “tanking” and American consumers started fretting about the price of gasoline going up, Joly said.

“Ultimately, none of us will change the perceptions of President Trump,” she said. “The only people in the world that will make sure that tariffs are not imposed are the American people themselves. When they understand that this is affecting the (price of) gas at the pump and groceries ... they’ll say, ‘enough!’”

Joly said the proposed U.S. tariffs represent an “existential threat” to Canada because they could lead to the elimination of hundreds of thousands of jobs. She said Canada and the European Union should co-ordinate efforts to respond to Trump’s threats.

Meanwhile, Trump has already signalled his intention to impose tariffs on the EU, suggesting the economic union continues to take advantage of an imbalanced trading relationship.

In Munich, Joly suggested Canadians have responded favourably to the Liberal government’s moves, saying the result has been a significant leap in public opinion polls that has largely erased the big lead the Conservatives have enjoyed for the past two years.

“I think our people in Canada reacted so strongly to the fact that we were so strong,” the minister said. “Within a week, we’re nearly at par with the Opposition because Canadians are afraid, are anxious and love the fact that we’re standing strong.”

During the panel discussion, U.S. Democratic Senator Andy Kim said Trump sold voters on the idea that U.S tariffs will be “paid for by other people, not the American people.” Kim said Trump is capitalizing on polls suggesting 73 per cent of Americans believe the U.S. loses more than it gains through international trade.

Trump remains vulnerable to backlash because 64 per cent of Americans believe tariffs will raise domestic prices, Kim said, adding that 60 per cent of Americans disapprove of imposing tariffs on European countries.

Kim told the audience that European leaders must articulate the harm tariffs will bring to Europe, but also to the United States.

“The person who will ultimately make the decision about this is not ideological about this,” the New Jersey senator said, referring to Trump. “He’s thinking about a political stance, (but) it’s deeply unpopular amongst the American people, and it is perhaps an extraordinary vulnerability on his part.”

— With files from Dylan Robertson in Ottawa.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 15, 2025.