Zelenskyy heads to the G7 summit as Russia is hit with more sanctions

Canada, the U.S. and the rest of the Group of Seven allies have announced new sanctions and export controls against individuals and companies supporting Russia's war effort in Ukraine.

The gathering of the world's major democratic economies will also hear from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy,who will attend in person, according to a senior Ukrainian official.

Oleksiy Danilov, the secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council, confirmed on national television Friday that Zelenskyy would attend the summit on Sunday.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday saidCanada would impose dozens of new sanctions on people who are supporting Russia's military campaign in Ukraine, as well as those complicit in human rights violations, including the transfer of Ukrainian children to Russia.

A U.S. official also announced sanctions that would undermine Moscow's ability to wage war in Ukraine and said the other G7 nations would take similar steps.

In his nightly address to his people Thursday, Zelenskyy said he is seeking more modern weapons from the country's allies.

"Our priorities for this week, next week, and for the near future are additional air defence systems, additional missiles, training and aircraft, and long-range weapons," Zelenskyy said.

"And this will be fulfilled."

The Biden administration has signalled to European allies that the U.S. would allow them to export F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, CNN reported late Thursday, on the eve of the G7 Summit in Hiroshima, Japan.

The network quoted unnamed senior administration officials, who added that they weren't aware of any allied country that has asked for permission to export the 4th generation warplanes, which are more advanced than what Ukranian pilots currently fly.

The leaders have arrived and Trudeau has held a series of bilateral meetings, including with the host leader Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, with whom he raised the issue of curbs and discrimination against gay couples in that country.

"Obviously, Canada is concerned about some of the positioning that Italy is taking in terms of LGBT rights, but I look forward to talking about that," Trudeau said.

Meloni responded that her government is following court decisions and is not deviating from previous administrations.

Canada to unveil more sanctions

The war in Ukraine, however, was the dominant theme Friday.

A senior Canadian official, speaking on background, said early Friday that the sanctions Canada plans to unveil will target 17 people and 18 Russian companies that "provide military technology." A further 30 individuals are being sanctioned for human rights violations.

It comes at a crucial time as allied military observers have noted Russia's increased use of new hypersonic missiles in air attacks on Ukraine a possible sign of increased production.

The U.K. plans to ban the import of Russian diamonds an industry worth about $4 billion US per year as part of its latest sanctions package, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said ahead of the summit. Canada has already sanctioned the Russian diamond industry.

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Other countries have been slow to act. G7 leaders are expected to discuss measures on how to better trace the diamond trade, with the intention of the European Union to impose sanctions at a later date, a senior EU official told Reuters.

The message was reinforced by the president of the European Council.

"Russian diamonds are not forever," Charles Michel told reporters on the margins of the summit.

The allies have continued to ratchet up sanctions and export-control pressure on Russia since the invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.

Canada says sanctions are working

Thousands of targets hit with sanctions by Washington so far have included Russian President Vladimir Putin, the financial sector and oligarchs.

Experts have said to expect G7 leaders to focus on tightening existing sanctions and putting in place measures to counter sanctions evasion. A recent U.S. Treasury Department report noted how Russian elites have transferred ownership of companies and assets to family members or other proxies in an attempt to hide wealth.

"There's definitely room for more sanctions," said John Boscariol, a lawyer who specializes in sanctions enforcement and compliance.

"We've never had a sanctions program that's been so impactful because of the role of Russia in the international economy. And I think, here, if a lot of the G7 members, but in particular Canada; if they were to take a pause and really look at administering and enforcing the measures that are in place right now, they could have some success."

Boscariol isn't the only one.

This week Canada's Senate foreign affairs committee released a report saying the effectiveness of Canada's sanctions regime is unclear and that the federal government would benefit from better tools to assess its impact and effectiveness.

"Targeted sanctions on those who trample on human rights and turn their backs on peace sends a clear message about our values," said Senator Peter Harder, the deputy head of the committee, in a statement. "Given the tragedy unfolding in Ukraine, it is especially appropriate to review Canada's sanctions regime. We urge the federal government to heed our recommendations to strengthen these measures."

Speaking ahead of the summit, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly insisted the sanctions regime imposed on Russia is working.

"We've seen that the impact of the G7 sanctions against Russia have really impacted, negatively, their military, particularly the possibility for the Russian army to be able to have access to key technologies coming from the west," she said.

"Meanwhile, we know we have to look at the question of sanctions evasion. The [G7] ministers of finance have looked into this and the foreign ministers have looked into this, and the leaders will be looking into this as well."