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Territorial Disputes Dominate Geneva Peace Talks

US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll sit before closed-door talks with Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak  (not pictured) on ending Russia's war in Ukraine, at the US Mission in Geneva, Switzerland. Negotiators from Russia and Ukraine convened in Geneva for a new round of U.S.-mediated peace talks, with territorial disputes emerging as the central point of contention. The discussions, held over two days, come amid heightened pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, who has urged Kyiv to “come to the table fast” in pursuit of a settlement.  Both sides remain deeply divided over land claims, which have become the primary obstacle to progress. The Kremlin has signaled that territorial issues will dominate the agenda, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has voiced concerns that Kyiv is facing disproportionate p...
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Sanctions Overload: Ottawa Struggles to Keep Pace with Expanding Blacklist

 

            Foreign Minister Anita Anand addresses the United Nations General Assembly on Monday, July 28, 2025.


Canada’s rapidly expanding sanctions regime is straining under a lack of resources, leaving officials unable to respond promptly to exemption requests and exposing the government to legal risks, an internal review warns.

The March 2025 evaluation found Global Affairs Canada’s sanctions teams “acutely understaffed” despite a surge in listings since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The department expanded its sanctions division from 13 to 50 staff and received $76 million in new funding, yet the pace of sanctions — 55 packages in 2022–23 compared to just eight in 2018–19 — has outstripped capacity.

The report says Ottawa provides little public guidance on compliance, making Canada an “international and domestic outlier” and increasing the risk of unintended harm to citizens and businesses. It calls for a legislative overhaul, citing inadequate systems, limited forensic expertise, and slow permit processing — with some applications pending for hundreds of days.

Global Affairs has accepted most recommendations and pledged to improve transparency, appeals processes, and technical capacity.


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