The G7 countries are preparing major energy and defence sanctions on Russia if President Vladmir Putin continues to “pay lip-service” to a ceasefire in Ukraine.
Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy told parliament on Monday evening that the G7 agreed to “ready the tools” to force Russia to negotiate seriously after a 30-day ceasefire had been approved by Kyiv last week.
It was down to President Vladimir Putin to decide on Russia’s course of action. “Are you serious, Mr Putin, about peace?” Mr Lammy said. “Will you stop the fighting, or will you drag your feet and play games, paying lip service to a ceasefire while still pummelling Ukraine?”
But the G7 countries – Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Canada and America – were united in agreement that if Mr Putin rejected a ceasefire, “we have more cards that we can play”, he said.
At the meeting in Charlevoix, Canada, the foreign ministers discussed “where we can go further to target their energy and defence sectors” with sanctions to “further squeeze their revenues”.
More talks on assembling a “coalition of the willing” to act as a deterrence force in Ukraine will continue this week, with a meeting of defence chief and ministers in London on Thursday.
He was speaking as new Canadian leader Mark Carney arrived in Britain. Canada took part in an online meeting of world leaders hosted Mr Starmer on Saturday.
The G7 leaders’ summit in June will now take on greater significance after Mr Carney invited Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy to attend. US President Donald Trump will also be present.
Mr Carney, a former governor of the Bank of England, met King Charles III at Buckingham Palace on Monday and later met Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The king is the head of state for Canada and recently planted a maple tree in the palace grounds.
Mr Carney and Mr Starmer were due to discuss potential greater trade links and Canada becoming a firm member of the “coalition of the willing” deterrence force for Ukraine.
Mr Carney has already made a strong political statement by choosing France then Britain as his opening official foreign trips, breaking the tradition of America being a new Canadian leader’s first visit.
With Mr Trump publicly stating that the US should absorb Canada, frequently referring to it as the “51st state”, while imposing 25 per cent tariffs on goods, the two countries' traditional alliance is in disarray.
In a pointed reference to that, Mr Carney said Canada was working with “reliable allies” as he stood next to President Emmanuel Macron in Paris at the Elysee Palace.
“We know that economic collaboration, not confrontation, is the way to build strong economies,” he said.
During his speech to parliament, Mr Lammy said the summit also condemned Israel’s blocking of aid to Gaza, which they condemned as “appalling and unacceptable”. “Humanitarian aid should never be used as a political tool. We urge the Israeli government to change course,” he said.
Mr Lammy also highlighted Iran’s production of enriched uranium, which “makes a mockery” of the 2015 nuclear agreement. “Iran can never be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon,” he said.
He also denounced the continued atrocities in Sudan, which he will address when he hosts a London conference next month on ending the civil war.
The five pillars of Islam
Brief scores:
QPR 0
Watford 1
Capoue 45' 1
Kibsons%20Cares
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERecycling%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fstrong%3EAny%20time%20you%20receive%20a%20Kibsons%20order%2C%20you%20can%20return%20your%20cardboard%20box%20to%20the%20drivers.%20They%E2%80%99ll%20be%20happy%20to%20take%20it%20off%20your%20hands%20and%20ensure%20it%20gets%20reused%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EKind%20to%20health%20and%20planet%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3ESolar%20%E2%80%93%2025-50%25%20of%20electricity%20saved%3Cbr%3EWater%20%E2%80%93%2075%25%20of%20water%20reused%3Cbr%3EBiofuel%20%E2%80%93%20Kibsons%20fleet%20to%20get%2020%25%20more%20mileage%20per%20litre%20with%20biofuel%20additives%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESustainable%20grocery%20shopping%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3ENo%20antibiotics%3Cbr%3ENo%20added%20hormones%3Cbr%3ENo%20GMO%3Cbr%3ENo%20preservatives%3Cbr%3EMSG%20free%3Cbr%3E100%25%20natural%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The five pillars of Islam
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Zayed Sustainability Prize
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Citizenship-by-investment programmes
United Kingdom
The UK offers three programmes for residency. The UK Overseas Business Representative Visa lets you open an overseas branch office of your existing company in the country at no extra investment. For the UK Tier 1 Innovator Visa, you are required to invest £50,000 (Dh238,000) into a business. You can also get a UK Tier 1 Investor Visa if you invest £2 million, £5m or £10m (the higher the investment, the sooner you obtain your permanent residency).
All UK residency visas get approved in 90 to 120 days and are valid for 3 years. After 3 years, the applicant can apply for extension of another 2 years. Once they have lived in the UK for a minimum of 6 months every year, they are eligible to apply for permanent residency (called Indefinite Leave to Remain). After one year of ILR, the applicant can apply for UK passport.
The Caribbean
Depending on the country, the investment amount starts from $100,000 (Dh367,250) and can go up to $400,000 in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take between four to five months to receive a passport.
Portugal
The investment amount ranges from €350,000 to €500,000 (Dh1.5m to Dh2.16m) in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take a maximum of six months to receive a Golden Visa. Applicants can apply for permanent residency after five years and Portuguese citizenship after six years.
“Among European countries with residency programmes, Portugal has been the most popular because it offers the most cost-effective programme to eventually acquire citizenship of the European Union without ever residing in Portugal,” states Veronica Cotdemiey of Citizenship Invest.
Greece
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Greece is €250,000, making it the cheapest real estate residency visa scheme in Europe. You can apply for residency in four months and citizenship after seven years.
Spain
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Spain is €500,000. You can apply for permanent residency after five years and citizenship after 10 years. It is not necessary to live in Spain to retain and renew the residency visa permit.
Cyprus
Cyprus offers the quickest route to citizenship of a European country in only six months. An investment of €2m in real estate is required, making it the highest priced programme in Europe.
Malta
The Malta citizenship by investment programme is lengthy and investors are required to contribute sums as donations to the Maltese government. The applicant must either contribute at least €650,000 to the National Development & Social Fund. Spouses and children are required to contribute €25,000; unmarried children between 18 and 25 and dependent parents must contribute €50,000 each.
The second step is to make an investment in property of at least €350,000 or enter a property rental contract for at least €16,000 per annum for five years. The third step is to invest at least €150,000 in bonds or shares approved by the Maltese government to be kept for at least five years.
Candidates must commit to a minimum physical presence in Malta before citizenship is granted. While you get residency in two months, you can apply for citizenship after a year.
Egypt
A one-year residency permit can be bought if you purchase property in Egypt worth $100,000. A three-year residency is available for those who invest $200,000 in property, and five years for those who purchase property worth $400,000.
Source: Citizenship Invest and Aqua Properties
The five pillars of Islam
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
