At their crisis summit in Brussels, the G-7 threatened the Kremlin chief with consequences for the invasion that began four weeks ago.
“We will spare no effort to hold President Putin, the planners and supporters of this aggression, including the regime of (President Alexander) Lukashenko in Belarus, accountable for their actions,” the G-7 said. The group called on Russia to “withdraw its armed forces and military hardware from the entire territory of Ukraine.” One appeals to all states not to support Russia in the war.
The G-7 includes Germany, Canada, France, Italy, Japan, the United States and Great Britain. Germany currently holds the presidency.
Help for Ukraine
The group pledged further assistance to Ukraine. “We are determined to support the Ukrainians in their heroic resistance to Russia’s unjustifiable and illegal aggression,” the statement said. The G-7 underlined that the sanctions imposed on Russia would be implemented and expanded if necessary. “We stand ready to take additional action if necessary.”
The G-7 sharply criticized Russian attacks on facilities such as the decommissioned nuclear power plant in Chernobyl. “Russia’s attack has already threatened the safety and security of nuclear facilities in Ukraine,” it said. “Russian military actions are exposing the population and the environment to extraordinary dangers, with potentially catastrophic consequences.”
The G-7 also pledged to reduce their dependence on Russian energy. They emphasized that all measures were not directed against the Russian population. “We want the people of Russia to know that we don’t hold grudges against them.”
On Thursday, Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine was discussed at three summits in Brussels. In addition to the G-7 summit, the program included a special NATO summit and a European Union summit.
Source: Nachrichten
