By Vipal Monga and Michael R. Gordon

LA MALBAIE, Canada -- Top diplomats from the world's industrial democracies gathered here with an extraordinary question looming: How to respond to President Trump's threats to economically target, and potentially absorb, the meeting's host, Canada.

The result was an unusual Group of Seven meeting of foreign ministers, with some of them lining up to show solidarity with Canada in its intensifying trade and border dispute with the organization's most powerful member, the U.S. From the White House, Trump on Thursday stoked the anxiety, saying Canada would make a great 51st state and implying it would lose out on trade if it resisted.

"We don't need anything they have," Trump told reporters.

In response to Trump's threats, Germany's top diplomat, Annalena Baerbock, posed for a picture with the EU's foreign-affairs chief, Kaja Kallas, that included a reassuring message on social media for Canada's Foreign Minister Melanie Joly: "We've got your back Melanie Joly." The two diplomats also coordinated their outfits, the German wearing white and Kallas in red, the colors of Canada's flag, in a show of solidarity, Kallas told a CNN interviewer as other journalists hovered nearby.

Baerbock also told reporters that she had watched a patriotic Canadian television ad about what it means to be a Canadian. "As a German, as a European, we can learn a lot from this common spirit," she said.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani dismissed Trump's talk of making Canada an American state. "The answer is very clear. Canada will be Canada in the future," he said.

As tensions rise with Washington, Canada is moving to strengthen its bonds with the European Union. Mark Carney, the incoming prime minister, is due to travel to Europe next week, after he is officially sworn in on Friday. A Canadian official said the trip was meant to signal to the U.S. that Canada isn't isolated in its attempts to thwart Trump's tariff agenda.

The meeting was intended to show unity on important global matters, including countering Russian aggression, containing turmoil in the Middle East, contending with North Korea's growing nuclear arsenal and managing China's growing economic and military might.

But the threats of annexation and new tariffs from the White House cast a shadow over a gathering designed to strengthen ties among top officials from Western democracies, including by arranging events that enable diplomats to interact in less formal settings.

A reception on Wednesday was held around an open fire where the ministers roasted marshmallows and made s'mores. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who had just flown in from Saudi Arabia, decided to get some rest instead.

On Thursday, the officials were scheduled to snowshoe around the hotel located on the banks of the St. Lawrence River, but that excursion was canceled and the ministers instead made maple syrup taffy on a balcony overlooking the river. Rubio skipped that event as well.

In another goodwill gesture, delegates received pens made of Canadian aluminum that Trump has recently tariffed.

Rubio had sought to defuse tensions before the summit over Trump's goal to make Canada the 51st state and the growing tariff wars.

"We have a lot of other things we work on together," said Rubio, referring to joint U.S. and Canadian military cooperation in defending North American airspace and their efforts to end the Ukraine war, among other issues.

"That's what the meeting is about," Rubio said on Wednesday. "It is not a meeting about how we're going to take over Canada."

"I mean, they've invited us to come," Rubio continued. "The alternative is to not go. I think that would actually make things worse, not better."

Rising global trade conflict dominated the gathering.

This week, Trump announced a 25% global duty on steel and aluminum imports that would hit both Canada and the EU. The EU reacted with retaliatory tariffs, including a 50% levy on American whiskey, which prompted Trump to say he would impose a 200% tariff on wine and other alcohol from the EU.

Rubio defended Trump's tariff policies as he headed to Canada, saying they weren't intended as unfriendly action but were needed to rebuild U.S. industry and to safeguard national security.

"It's not just against Canada, it's not just against Mexico, it's not just against G-7 countries," Rubio said. "He's imposed steel and aluminum tariffs now on virtually the entire world, and the reason why is not to punish those countries; it's because he has outlined the need to develop a domestic capability."

Kallas had her own warning about Trump's trade policy. The only party that was benefiting from the flare-up of trade tensions between the U.S. and its Canadian and European allies, she said, was Beijing.

She said China was laughing while the U.S. and the EU traded salvos. "There are no winners in trade wars," she said. "China is definitely benefiting from this."

Write to Vipal Monga at vipal.monga@wsj.com and Michael R. Gordon at michael.gordon@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

March 13, 2025 17:33 ET (21:33 GMT)

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