The foreign ministers of the Group of Seven democracies agreed Friday on tough language aimed at China's aggressive maritime actions and warned Russia it will face additional sanctions if it does not accede to an immediate cease-fire on "equal terms" with Ukraine.

In a joint statement, released after their talks this week in the Canadian resort town of La Malbaie, the ministers also emphasized the need for "robust and credible security arrangements" for Ukraine to enable it to defend its territorial integrity from any acts of aggression in the future.

The meeting took place at a pivotal time for the fate of Ukraine and tested the unity of the world's major industrialized countries, which have promoted shared values of democracy, the rule of law and human rights.

The 50-year-old grouping had operated with broad consensus before the rise of U.S. President Donald Trump, who returned to office in January.

While Trump's apparent affinity for Russian President Vladimir Putin and tariff threats have raised tensions between the United States and other G7 members, the ministers ultimately managed to reaffirm "unwavering support" for Ukraine's freedom and independence.

The top diplomats of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan, plus the European Union, welcomed a cease-fire proposal brokered by the United States for Russia's three-year-old invasion of Ukraine.

They also denounced China, Iran and North Korea for helping Russia in its war against Ukraine.

Speaking to reporters after the G7 meeting, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said he told his counterparts that U.S. involvement in the peace process for Ukraine is crucial, and the way Russia's invasion ends will impact the Indo-Pacific and elsewhere.

"I strongly felt that there is already a shared understanding that the security of the Euro-Atlantic is inseparable from that of the Indo-Pacific and Asia," Iwaya said. "We must not allow any false lessons to be drawn from this (peace process)."

The ministers met after Ukraine said earlier this week it was ready to accept an immediate 30-day cease-fire with Russia, as proposed by the Trump administration.

Following hours of talks between the United States and Ukraine in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, the administration agreed to resume its provision of military aid and intelligence to Kyiv, which was paused after Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy clashed in the Oval Office in front of reporters two weeks ago.

statement stopped short of demanding that Moscow accept an unconditional halt to hostilities.

Ukraine continues to seek guarantees for its future security from the United States, but Trump has been openly dismissive of such requests from the war-torn country.

While many other European countries have also pursued U.S.-backed security guarantees for Ukraine, the foreign ministers could only agree to the extent that they "underscored the need" for strong "security arrangements."

Throughout his stay in the wintery Canadian town, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio did not hold a press conference, speaking only to a group of selected reporters, and in his public statements he never expressed any frustration with Russia.

Rubio said on social media, "Working with our G7 partners is key to solving the world's challenges. We must support a swift and durable end to the Russia-Ukrain war..

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