G7 foreign ministers to discuss Ukraine conflict amid ceasefire push

The Russia-Ukraine war is on the agenda Thursday as foreign ministers from the G7 group of leading industrial nations meet in Canada amid a push to secure a ceasefire in the conflict.

The talks in Quebec follow U.S.-Ukraine talks that included a U.S. proposal for “an immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire,” which Ukrainian leaders said they were ready to accept.

“We must move toward peace. We must move toward security guarantees,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said during his nightly address Wednesday. “The key factor is our partners’ ability to ensure Russia’s readiness not to deceive but to genuinely end the war.”

The Kremlin has said it was waiting to hear about the ceasefire proposal from U.S. officials. The White House said Wednesday that national security adviser Steve Witkoff was heading to Moscow for talks in the coming days.

The G7 talks bring together ministers from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States.

Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly, who is hosting the meetings, said Canada welcomes the U.S. proposal to halt the fighting in Ukraine and that a ceasefire is “the first step toward a just and lasting peace.”

“The ball is now in Russia’s court to show that it is likewise ready for a ceasefire and to put an end to the bloodshed. The world is watching,” Joly said in a statement.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters en route to Canada on Wednesday that the U.S. will have “multiple points of contact” with Russia to assess its willingness for the peace deal.

“Now, we all eagerly await the Russian response, and urge them strongly to consider ending all hostilities … so a process can begin to find a permanent peace,” Rubio told VOA on Wednesday.

Rubio added there is a need for monitors if Russia agrees to a ceasefire.

“If they [Russians] say yes, one of the things we’ll have to determine is who do both sides trust to be on the ground to sort of monitor some of the small arms fire and exchanges that could happen,” Rubio told reporters.

At the White House on Wednesday, President Donald Trump said it was “up to Russia now” to respond.

“And hopefully we can get a ceasefire from Russia,” he said. “And if we do, I think that would be 80% of the way to getting this horrible bloodbath finished.”

Trump is hosting NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte for talks Thursday at the White House./VOA/