The foreign ministers of the Group of Seven major democracies - Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States - will meet at the river resort of La Malbaie, Quebec on March 12-14 for the first time since President Donald Trump returned to power in January.
When asked by reporters about Trump's comments on making Canada the 51st U.S. state, Rubio instead talked about the areas of cooperation between the United States and Canada including defense of North American airspace and Ukraine.
"We're going to be focused in the G7 on all of those things. That's what the meeting is about. It is not a meeting about how we're going to take over Canada," he said.
U.S. ties with Canada have soured following Trump's repeated comments about Washington's northern neighbor being its 51st U.S. state and the Republican president referring to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as its "governor".
The two neighbors are also locked in a trade war. Trump increased tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada, accusing the country of failing to do enough to stem the flow of the deadly fentanyl opioid and its precursor chemicals into the U.S. and also as he moves to reorder global trade norms in favor of the United States.
Rubio said Trump was not singling out any country but trying to help develop a domestic industrial capability as the current situation threatened U.S. national security in the long run.
The top U.S. diplomat said despite these tensions, he expected to have constructive conversations with G7 allies.
"I think it is quite possible that we could do these things and at the same time deal in a constructive way with our allies and friends and partners on all the other issues that we work together on. And that's what I expect out of the G7 in Canada," Rubio said.
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Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 17 June, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday (16 June) that a lack of respect for international law remains the “biggest hurdle” to building international solidarity, as he addressed an outreach session at the G7 Summit in Evian.
Donald Trump has said the U.S. will resume bombing Iran if Tehran doesn't "behave," at the sidelines of the G7 summit in France. Earlier, the U.S. President criticised Israel for its tactics against Hezbollah, saying it was unnecessary to bomb entire apartment buildings to tackle militants.
A strong 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia's Sulawesi island early Tuesday, killing at least one person and injuring four, according to emergency authorities.
U.S. President Donald Trump said a preliminary agreement to end the war in the Gulf has been signed by the U.S. and Iran, though details have yet to be made public and both countries said a permanent truce is yet to be negotiated.
Australia's weather bureau warned on Tuesday that an El Niño weather pattern has formed in the tropical Pacific and could intensify in the second half of 2026, becoming one of the strongest events recorded in seven decades.
Pakistan's heavy reliance on imported energy was laid bare by the U.S.-Iran conflict, which disrupted regional supplies, drove up costs and exposed vulnerabilities in the country's energy security. However, a proposed peace agreement now offers hope for economic relief.
Millions of people across 13 countries are expected to face worsening food insecurity between June and November 2026, according to a new report from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP).
Ukraine is seeking an additional $20 billion in military funding from its allies, Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said on Wednesday, as Kyiv looks to strengthen its battlefield position and increase pressure on Russia ahead of potential negotiations.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he had a "very good" conversation with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the G7 summit in France, adding that Washington and New Delhi were working on trade agreements despite recent strains in bilateral ties.
Polish police have launched an investigation after videos circulating online showed men in military-style uniforms patrolling Warsaw Central railway station and questioning people they believed to be foreigners.
The Netherlands has announced a new €500 million military support package for Ukraine, focused on drones and air defence systems, as Western allies intensify efforts to strengthen Kyiv's position in its war against Russia.
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