The remainder of the G7 Summit was odd with Trump’s early departure, in part because of how much space he took up at the event, and his subsequent absence case a long shadow. A number of leaders had come specifically to meet with him on the second day, including Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and with Trump gone, it made the trip seem less worthwhile for their broader goals. There was talk that a statement about support for Ukraine was scrapped because the Americans wanted the language to be watered down to useless—but Mark Carney’s office later retracted that claim, so it’s hard to say what actually happened there. Carney did, however, pledge another $4.3 billion for Ukraine and to help bring about more sanctions on Russia and their “shadow fleet,” so that’s not nothing. As for Trump, while on his way home, he was back to threats, insisting Canada will be paying tariffs unless we become a US state, and he increased the price for participation in the “golden dome,” with a number he pulled directly out of his ass.

As for the outcomes of the summit, there was an agreement on an increased use of AI (really?!) plus a “common vision” for quantum technologies. The Rapid Response Mechanism on disinformation and threats to democracy will update its reports to include transnational repression; there was also a pledge to do more to tackle migrant smuggling. There was agreement to coordinate efforts to manage the impacts of wildfires—but nothing about tackling climate change that is causing those fires. There was also talk about “economic corridors” for critical minerals, and enforcing standardised markets in order to combat Chinese dominance in that tech space.

Regarding the other meetings on the sidelines, Carney had his meeting with Narendra Modi and did raise transnational repression during his remarks, for all the good it did. The pair agreed to re-establish proper diplomatic relations and to re-appoint new high commissioners for each country, but we’ll see if India’s next representative is also tied to repression. Carney also had a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who was supportive of the plans to reach the NATO two-percent spending target this year (right before the summit where the plan is to increase it again). As for designated protest sites, they were largely quiet on the second day. (More highlights from the day here).

https://twitter.com/supriyadwivedi/status/1935050251351495064

Ukraine Dispatch

The attack on Kyiv early Tuesday morning was even deadlier than first anticipated, with 440 drones and 32 missiles fired, killing at least 18 people and wounding 151 others; Odesa was also hit. (Photos).

Good reads:

• Dominic LeBlanc told the Senate that Bill C-5 gives the government the ability to block projects if proponents don’t meet their strict conditions.
• Julie Dabrusin says the government intends to bring back consumer rebates for EV purchases, but doesn’t yet know what that programme will look like.
• The federal government is trying to develop its own AI platform “as good as ChatGPT,” and rarely has a more depressing phrase been uttered.
• Canada and the UK are restarting trade talks, which will hopefully get past the past irritants around beef and cheese.
• In the wake of his joint investigation with the UK into the data breaches at 23andMe, the Privacy Commissioner is once again asking Parliament for more powers.
• In its report to Parliament, CSIS reaffirms that India remains a persistent threat of foreign interference and transnational repression.
• The Military Police Complaints Commission said that the force continues to resist civilian oversight and is breaking the law by ignoring the complaint process. (Yikes!)
• AFN national chief Cindy Woodhouse Neepinak slammed the Commons transport committee for not inviting more witnesses about Bill C-5.
• Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith voted against the closure motion on Bill C-5, citing the need for more study (and he’s right, and a great backbench example).
• Conservative MP Damien Kurek has now officially resigned his seat so that Pierre Poilievre can run in his riding in a byelection.
• Manitoba has signed an agreement to help reconstruction in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region.
• David Eby wants the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, based in India, to be declared a terrorist organisation as it is linked to extortions in Canada.
• Justin Ling doesn’t hold out hope for a Canada-US trade deal after the first day of the G7 summit.
• Ling gives a bigger wrap of the summit as a whole, and how Trump has essentially turned it into the G6-plus-one.
• Susan Delacourt notices how Carney seems to be tailoring his diplomacy to Trump, which involves a lot of dual-edged statements that sound flattering.
• My column looks at the excuses for Bill C-5 and its giant Henry VIII clause, and they don’t really stack up when you look at the reality of the situation.

Odds and ends:

Because "fun uncle" Doug has once again deployed the Baby Spice Effect™, and nobody can stay mad at him as a result.

— Dale Smith (@journodale.bsky.social) 2025-06-18T04:52:52.462Z

What's the Baby Spice Effect™? It's from "Spiceworld," where there was a recurring joke about Baby Spice getting away with murder if she just flashed her cute smile. Doug Ford manages the same effect, somehow.

— Dale Smith (@journodale.bsky.social) 2025-06-18T04:52:52.463Z

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