G7 diplomats mull how to get Russia to engage in Ukraine peace talks

NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE, Canada (Reuters) -Group of Seven foreign ministers on Wednesday discussed ways to increase pressure on Russia over the war in Ukraine, amid doubts over whether Moscow is interested in negotiating an end to the conflict.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was in Canada's Niagara region for the meeting, which was also joined by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, who pushed for Kyiv's allies to strengthen its long-range missile capability and bolster its energy sector as Ukraine enters another winter at war.

Countries attending the meeting of foreign ministers in Canada on Wednesday were also concerned about U.S. military operations in the Caribbean and whether armed strikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats carried out by Washington violate international law.

U.S. President Donald Trump has sought a rapprochement with Moscow and held a summit in Alaska with Putin in August. But he has backed calls for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine with forces at their present positions, while Moscow has said it wants Kyiv to yield more territory.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told Reuters on the sidelines of the talks that discussion on Ukraine revolved around putting more pressure on Russia to seek peace after the U.S. concluded that Moscow was not serious about ending the war.

"In order to make them have peace, we have to put more pressure," Kallas said. "They (the US) have had engagements (with Russia) and we have all welcomed their engagements so that to really achieve peace. But to be very, very frank... their assessment is that Russia has no way changed its goals so it's not genuine about the peace talks."

Efforts to organize a summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump were put on ice last month, as Moscow's rejection of an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine cast a cloud over attempts at negotiations.

Ukraine's Sybiha, after meeting G7 foreign ministers, praised Washington for new energy sanctions imposed on Russian oil companies last month.

"We need to continue to increase the cost of war for Putin and his regime, forcing Russia to end the war," he wrote on X.

Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand earlier announced additional sanctions against Moscow, targeting Russia's drone program, liquefied natural gas entities and vessels from Russia's shadow fleet, among others, according to a statement. 

(Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis, Maria Cheng, David Ljunggren, Michelle Nichols and Simon LewisEditing by Humeyra Pamuk and Alistair Bell)