he leaders of the world's top democratic economies arrived in Germany on Sunday, beginning an extraordinary week of meetings where they will be under intense pressure to do more for Ukraine in its war with Russia.
The meeting of G7 leaders in Schloss Elmau, nestled in the Bavarian Alps, will be followed immediately on Wednesday by a gathering of NATO powers in Madrid, at which time the Western military alliance is expected to sign off on a bulked-up presence in eastern Europe to deter further potential aggression by Moscow.
The fallout of Russia's Feb. 24 invasion of its neighbour has cascaded throughout the world economy, driving up food and fuel prices — and, most significantly, inflation.
The G7 strategy has relied heavily on sanctions to punish Russian President Vladimir Putin's regime, but instead of crippling the Kremlin's war machine, the effect has largely been blunted by China and India picking up the slack and buying more Russian oil.
Both India and South Africa have been invited to observe the G7 meeting. The leaders of both countries skipped this week's Commonwealth Summit.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he's already spoken with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and expects the message will be delivered loud and clear to both countries.
"If Putin continues to believe he can act with impunity — and not just cause horrific damage and loss of life in Ukraine but directly cause loss of life and opportunity for people around the world — the world needs to continue to stand up against him," he said at the conclusion of the Commonwealth leaders meeting in Kigali, Rwanda's capital.