Top diplomats from the Group of Seven industrialized democracies are converging on southern Ontario, Canada as tensions rise between the U.S. and traditional allies like Canada over defense spending, trade and uncertainty over President Donald Trump's ceasefire plan in Gaza and efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand said in an interview with The Associated Press that “the relationship has to continue across a range of issues” despite trade pressures as she prepared to host U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and their counterparts from Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Japan on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Anand also invited the foreign ministers of Australia, Brazil, India, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, South Korea, South Africa and Ukraine.

The diplomats will meet with Ukraine's foreign minister early Wednesday.

Canada's G7 hosting duties this year have been marked by strained relations with its North American neighbor, predominantly over Trump’s imposition of tariffs on Canadian imports.

But the entire bloc of allies is confronting major turbulence over the Republican president's demands on trade and various proposals to halt worldwide conflicts.