G7 allies launch coordinated sanctions blitz against Russia as Trump balks at new action
G7 allies launched a coordinated barrage of new sanctions against Russia at their summit in Canada, with the UK, Canada and Australia targeting hundreds of individuals, entities and shadow fleet vessels, while US President Donald Trump refused to commit to additional sanctions.
The UK imposed sanctions on 30 Russian targets across finance, military and energy sectors, including 20 oil tankers in Moscow’s shadow fleet and two UK residents who allegedly funneled over $120 million in electronics to Russia. Canada announced sanctions on 77 individuals and 39 entities plus trade restrictions on almost 1,000 new items, while Australia sanctioned 60 shadow fleet vessels for the first time.
‘These sanctions strike right at the heart of Putin’s war machine, choking off his ability to continue his barbaric war in Ukraine,’ UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a statement during the three-day summit in Kananaskis, Alberta that closed Tuesday.
‘We must put more pressure on Russia to secure a real ceasefire, to bring Russia to the negotiating table and to end this war,’ EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said at the meeting. ‘Sanctions are critical to that end.’ She noted that Russian oil and gas revenues have fallen by almost 80% since the beginning of the war due to G7 and EU sanctions.
The EU president also urged G7 leaders to adopt the bloc’s 18th sanctions package, which has yet to be finalised and proposes lowering the oil price cap from $60 to $45 per barrel and expanding restrictions on Russian banks and dual-use technologies.
Trump, who left the summit early, told reporters that Europeans should ‘do it first’ when asked about new sanctions, adding that ‘sanctions cost us a lot of money — a tremendous amount of money’.
‘When I sanction a country, that costs the US a lot of money,’ Trump said. ‘It’s not just, let’s sign a document. You’re talking about billions and billions of dollars. Sanctions are not that easy. It’s not just a one-way street.’
Canada’s package represents one of its most significant sanctions announcements since Russia’s February 2022 invasion, comprising its largest ever vessel- and trade-related sanctions. The country listed an additional 201 vessels, bringing the total number of sanctioned Russia-linked ships to over 300.
The measures also target three individuals and 14 entities involved in developing Russia’s quantum sector, described as sensitive technology with dual-use military applications. In addition, Ottawa sanctioned 45 people identified by the Anti-Corruption Foundation who provide support to Russia’s military-industrial complex. Since 2014, Canada has imposed sanctions on more than 3,300 individuals and entities complicit in violating Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
‘As we conclude the 2025 G7 Leaders’ Summit in Kananaskis, we are sending a clear message to Russia that the international community will continue to show a united front to support Ukraine for as long as it takes,’ said Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand.
The UK’s targets include two residents accused of operating shell companies that supplied Russia with high-tech electronics crucial to the Kremlin’s war effort. The sanctions also hit Russia’s Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research, the military agency leading development of underwater intelligence gathering operations.
Australia’s shadow fleet sanctions mark the first time the country has targeted vessels that Russia uses to circumvent international sanctions through deceptive practices including flag-hopping and disabling tracking systems.
The Russian Embassy did not immediately reply to an email for comment about the new sanctions.
