G7 leaders reaffirm ‘unwavering support for Ukraine'

By Baris Seckin

ROME (AA) - The leaders of the G7 reaffirmed their unfluctuating backing of Ukraine on Saturday.

“We the Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) met today with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to reaffirm our unwavering support for Ukraine and salute once more the bravery and resilience of the Ukrainian people who have been fighting tirelessly for Ukraine’s freedom and democratic future,” according to a statement after a video conference to mark the second anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine war.

The statement highlighted Russia's “unprovoked full-scale invasion which constitutes a blatant violation of the UN Charter.”

It said that Ukrainians “have proven their will to defeat President Putin’s war machine, restore their nation’s territorial integrity, and defend Ukraine’s sovereignty and independence.

“President Putin has failed to achieve his strategic objective of subjugating Ukraine. Instead, he is forcing his own people to pay a heavy price for his government’s reckless actions each day. He has drained Russia’s resources to fund an unnecessary war, torn Russian families apart, and claimed hundreds of thousands of Russian lives,” it said.

In the joint statement, the leaders recorded the following:

“We call on Russia to immediately cease its war of aggression and completely and unconditionally withdraw its military forces from the internationally recognized territory of Ukraine. We call on all countries to uphold international law and in no way validate or condone Russia’s attempts to acquire territory by force. We will never recognise so-called “elections”, past and future, held by Russia in the territories of Ukraine, nor their results.

“We strongly condemn Russia’s continuous brutal attacks on civilians and critical civil infrastructure and war crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukraine, including sexual violence. We strongly condemn Russia’s human rights violations in the territories Russia occupies.”

It highlighted Ukraine's progress in exporting all grain from its 2023 harvest through its maritime corridor and with the EU’s solidarity lanes despite Russia's attacks on Ukrainian ports and its withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

The statement underscored the determination to fully implement sanctions against Russia and to take new measures as necessary.

“We call on financial institutions to refrain from supporting Russia’s war machine and we will take appropriate steps, consistent with our legal systems, to deter this behaviour,” it said.

The statement strongly condemned Russia’s procurement of North Korea’s ballistic missiles, and voiced concerns about the transfer of military materials from businesses in China to Russia.

-Call for investigation into Navalny's death in Russia

The statement also addressed the death of jailed opposition figure Alexei Navalny.

“We also pay tribute to the extraordinary courage of Alexei Navalny and stand with his wife, children, and loved ones. He sacrificed his life fighting against the Kremlin’s corruption and for free and fair elections in Russia. We call on the Russian government to fully clarify the circumstances around his death,” it said.

The statement indicated that restrictive measures would be imposed on those culpable for Navalny’s death.

Additionally, a statement from the Italian Prime Minister's Office, representing the current G7 presidency, indicated that the meetings delved into not only the Ukraine crisis but involved a detailed examination of the escalating tensions in the Middle East, including the situation in the Red Sea region.

Russia launched its "special military operation" on Ukraine exactly two years ago on Feb. 24, 2022.

The G7 comprises the US, Germany, France, the UK, Italy, Canada and Japan.

* Writing by Seda Sevencan