G7 must act now to counter hybrid warfare threats

The G7 Summit in Kananaskis is a defining moment for democracies facing cyberattacks, disinformation and economic coercion

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The G7 Summit currently being held in Kananaskis, Alta., isn’t just another high-level meeting. It’s a defining moment for liberal democracies.

As leaders gather under Canada’s presidency, the convergence of geopolitics, national security and economic resilience demands a sharper, more coordinated response to the systemic threats posed by state-sponsored hybrid warfare. This year’s agenda is not just another round of policy deliberation. It is a test of resolve.

The summit’s roster includes the leaders of the G7 nations: Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy and Japan, alongside EU officials and invited guests such as India’s Narendra Modi, Brazil’s Lula da Silva and South Korea’s Lee Jae-myung. The invitation to Prime Minister Modi has drawn criticism following Canada’s allegation that Indian agents were involved in the 2023 assassination of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The optics and risks are significant. Hybrid threats are no longer theoretical—they are operational and immediate.

The presence of leaders implicated, directly or indirectly, in economic coercion or political subversion warrants close scrutiny. India’s alleged extraterritorial operations, China’s disinformation and trade manipulation, and Russia’s continued aggression in Ukraine all highlight the urgent need for coordinated and enforceable policy action by liberal democracies.

Canada’s summit themes, economic resilience, clean energy transitions, digital security and democracy, reflect an ambitious effort to assert moral and strategic leadership. But ambition alone is not enough. The private sector is now a key battleground in geopolitical conflict. Corporations in critical infrastructure, logistics and financial services are increasingly vulnerable to targeted campaigns involving disinformation, strategic lawsuits, regulatory exploitation and illicit finance, all tools of hybrid warfare.

The G7 must now confront this reality directly. Resilience in the face of weaponized interdependence requires a shift from reactive to pre-emptive policy through regulatory harmonization, strategic decoupling from authoritarian supply chains and consistent sanctions enforcement. The summit must also lead on setting international standards for AI governance and cyber deterrence, areas where China and Russia have already advanced their own illiberal models.

The security implications of this year’s summit are evident in the scale of planning underway by Canadian authorities. The RCMP and allied agencies are coordinating one of the most comprehensive security operations in decades. The Modi controversy alone raises the risk of domestic unrest and foreign influence operations aimed at exploiting divisions or undermining Canada’s leadership.

The G7 stands at a crossroads. This gathering must do more than issue communiqués. It must define a coherent doctrine for defending liberal democracy in an era where economic tools are weaponized. Failure to act decisively will embolden adversaries, weaken democratic institutions and threaten the long-term stability of the rules-based international order.

Potential outcomes from this summit could include the creation of a G7 Hybrid Threats Co-ordination Mechanism to share intelligence on foreign interference and economic coercion, a framework for multilateral AI and cyber norms, and a collective investment strategy in secure supply chains for critical minerals and strategic technologies. Further commitments to enforce and expand sanctions against malign actors would reinforce the economic sovereignty of democratic states.

This summit must not be seen as routine. It marks an inflection point in the West’s strategic posture. Defending liberal democracy today requires more than conventional deterrence. It demands the ability to counter threats embedded in trade, finance and information systems.

The time to act is now, in Kananaskis.

Scott McGregor is a senior security advisor to the Council on Countering Hybrid Warfare and Managing Partner at Close Hold Intelligence Consulting Ltd. The commentary was submitted by the Frontier Centre for Public Policy.