In a fresh attempt to curtail Russia and its allies' attack on Ukraine as the war continues, the G7 countries have now pledged 'severe costs' for countries helping Russia, the G7 statement read. The group condemned the Rusia invasion and called for a complete withdrawal of its forces from the Ukrainian territory citing it as a serious violation of international law, including the UN Charter. The statement added that the group recommits its support to Ukraine for as long as it takes and to providing sustained security, economic, and institutional support to help Ukraine defend itself, secure its free and democratic future, and deter future Russian aggression.
“We reiterate our support for President Zelenskyy’s efforts to promote a comprehensive, just and lasting peace, in line with the UN Charter, and we support the basic principles outlined in his Peace Formula. We also welcome the resolution A/RES/ES-11/6, which was adopted on February 23, 2023, with the broad support of the international community at the Emergency Special Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA). We will continue to help Ukraine repair and restore its critical energy and environmental infrastructure and reemphasize our strong support for Ukraine’s energy security,” it said.
The statement was released after the meeting of G7 Foreign Ministers in Karuizawa, Nagano in Japan.
The countries said, “Ukraine’s anti-corruption and domestic reform efforts must continue, and we will support them. In this regard, we reiterate our full confidence in the G7 Ambassadors Support Group in Ukraine and its role of supporting the implementation process. Russia’s irresponsible nuclear rhetoric and its threat to deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus are unacceptable.”
On the nuclear weapons issue, the statement stated, “ Any use of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons by Russia would be met with severe consequences. We recall the importance of the 77-year record of non-use of nuclear weapons since 1945. We condemn Russia’s continued seizure and militarization of Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), which could lead to potentially severe consequences for nuclear safety and security. We support the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) efforts to help strengthen nuclear safety and security in Ukraine, including the Director General’s leadership on efforts at the ZNPP.”
Threatening of worse sanctions on Russia and allies, G7 nations maintained, “We remain committed to intensifying sanctions against Russia, coordinating and fully enforcing them, including through the Enforcement Coordination Mechanism, and countering Russia’s and third parties’ attempts to evade and undermine our sanctions measures. We reiterate our call on third parties to cease assistance to Russia’s war, or face severe costs. We will reinforce our coordination to prevent and respond to third parties supplying weapons to Russia and continue to take actions against those who materially support Russia’s war against Ukraine.”