G7 Warns Russia Of More Severe Sanctions, Calls For Humanitarian Corridors In Ukraine

Russia-Ukraine War: The UK, Italy, Canada, Germany, the United States, France, and Japan are members of the Group of Seven (G7).

Ukrainian servicemen guard the checkpoint in the Independence Square on March 4 (Getty Images)

New Delhi: As the Russia-Ukraine conflict continues to worsen, the G7 (Group of seven) countries warned of "further severe sanctions" against Russia and called for "rapid" humanitarian corridors in Ukraine, AFP reported.

The UK, Italy, Canada, Germany, the United States, France, and Japan are members of the Group of Seven (G7).

"We called on Russia to immediately stop its attack on Ukraine, which has even harmed ordinary citizens, and withdraw its forces," Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters.

"We've agreed, as G7, to impose further, severe sanctions if Russia does not stop its assault," he said

Hayashi participated in the G7 meeting, held in Brussels, via teleconference.

The G7 meeting took place on a day Russian military forces seized the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe's largest nuclear plant, located southeast of Ukraine, reports said.

Russia took control over the plant after shelling the facility, sparking a fire and raising fears that radiation could leak from the damaged power station. However, the International Atomic Energy Agency said there was no release of radiation at the Ukrainian nuclear plant.

On February 28, leaders of the G7 threatened fresh sanctions against Russia if it did not cease its operation in Ukraine.

Russian military gains in Ukraine achieved through its ongoing campaign leading to "any change of status" such as the annexation of territory "will not be recognised", G7 foreign ministers had said in a joint statement.

G7 nations have already slapped harsh sanctions on Russia for invading neighbouring Ukraine, which entered its ninth day on Friday.

The United States and EU have excluded some Russian banks from the international bank payments system SWIFT and personally targeted President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.