G-7 committed to continue supporting Ukraine: Top German diplomat

By Oliver Towfigh Nia

BERLIN (AA) - The G-7 countries remain strongly committed to their support for Ukraine in its war against Russia, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Thursday.

“As the G-7, we said very clearly today that we will not let up in our support for Ukraine. Not as long as Russia wages this brutal and illegal war of aggression. The people of Ukraine also defend our freedom,” Baerbock said at a news briefing with her Danish counterpart Lars Lokke in Berlin.

The German minister, whose country chairs the G-7 until the end of the year, pointed out that she held a virtual meeting with other G-7 foreign ministers earlier in the day focusing on further support of Ukraine.

In a press statement, the G-7 foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, the US, and the high representative of the European Union, “again condemned in the strongest possible terms Russia’s illegal, unjustifiable, and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine.”

They also expressed their “full solidarity and unwavering support for Ukraine and its people for as long as it takes.”

The G-7 member states also reiterated “their full resolve to continue coordinating financial, material, humanitarian, defense, political, technical and legal assistance to support Ukraine’s defense of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

They also remained “committed to the unprecedented coordinated sanctions measures in response to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.”

Meanwhile, German Finance Minister Christian Lindner said the G-7 would again earmark at least $32 billion for the coming years as part of Ukraine’s budget support.

Further financial commitments are to be expected, according to Lindner, who added: "$32 billion is a strong signal, but there is a certain probability that we will not get by with it."

According to the German Finance Ministry, the G-7 countries granted Ukraine $32.7 billion in budget support this year.

The funds help maintain the war-torn country's basic government services, such as paying pensions and the salaries of government employees. The US is by far the largest donor for Ukraine.