Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has brought shame on Russia and the sacrifices its people made to defeat Nazi Germany in World War II, G7 leaders said in a statement marking the 77th anniversary of the end. of world war. conflict.
The statement, made Sunday after a video conference between G7 leaders and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, was intended as a cohesive call from liberal democracies ahead of Russia’s Victory Day parade on May 9 in Moscow.
A statement from the G7 said: “By invading and operating in Ukraine since 2014, Russia has violated the rules-based international order, in particular the UN Charter, established after World War II to spare future generations from the scourge of the war.
“President Putin and his regime have now chosen to attack Ukraine in an unprovoked aggressive war against a sovereign state. His actions disgrace Russia and the historical victims of its people.
Leaders also accused him of “attacking the world’s food” if he failed to comply with international law and end the blockade on Ukraine’s food exports.
The G7 said it had collectively provided Ukraine with $ 24 billion (£ 19.5) in financial and material support since the start of the war.
Separately, in a televised address to the German people, Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, promised that Germany would not be paralyzed by fear, nor would it allow Russia to dictate the terms of any peace agreement in Ukraine.
In a joint statement, G7 leaders said they would collectively end their dependence on Russian energy “in a timely and orderly manner”, but no precise timetable was set to reflect ongoing divisions in Europe over the speed with which it can be achieved. such a gradual cessation. .
Clarifying the military objectives, the G-7 statement said: “Ukraine’s ultimate goal is to ensure the full withdrawal of Russian military forces and equipment from the entire territory of Ukraine and to ensure its ability to defend itself in the future.”
Downing Street said that in his contribution to the G-7 discussion, Boris Johnson called on his colleagues to provide Ukrainians with “military equipment that allowed them not only to hold positions in Ukraine, but also to retake it.”
Johnson “agreed with G7 leaders that the world should step up economic pressure on Putin in every way possible, and said the West should not allow war to turn into a stalemate that only increases suffering,” a spokesman said. Downing Street.
Johnson also called on his G7 partners to “step up diplomatic lobbying against counterparts who fail to put pressure on President Putin’s military machine,” No. 10 said.
Talks between diplomats in Brussels continued on Sunday to try to secure EU-wide unanimity on a timetable for Russia’s phasing out of energy, but discussions were described as difficult. Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic have been offered permission to continue importing Russian oil until the end of 2024, but they are also asking for help in securing new sources of oil and refitting their refineries.
Budapest wants a five-year period to give up Russian oil and says it will need a new pipeline connection to Croatia that has access to the sea.
Diplomatic activity came when US First Lady Jill Biden took a detour from a trip to Slovakia and Romania to visit refugees on an unannounced visit to Ukraine, where she met with Ukrainian counterpart Olena Zelenska.
On a busy day for VIP visits to Ukraine, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau toured Irpen, a suburb of Kyiv and the scene of some of Russia’s worst early attacks. German Bundestag President Berbel Bass and Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic met with Zelenski in Kyiv on Sunday.
At the Kiev metro, Edge and Bono from U2, at the invitation of Zelensky, presented themselves together with a Ukrainian soldier.
“Stand by Ukraine”: Bono and The Edge from U2 surprise a concert in the Kiev metro – video
Bass is the top German politician to visit the capital. She took part in commemorative events marking the anniversary of the end of World War II, as well as in discussing the unpleasant issue of German arms exports to Ukraine. German Foreign Minister Analea Burbock, a surprising proponent of arms exports, is expected to visit Ukraine soon.
The mayor of Irpin, Alexander Markushin, posted photos on an official social media channel with Trudeau, writing that the Canadian prime minister “came to Irpin to see with his own eyes all the horror that the Russian occupiers have done to our city.”
Markushin said Trudeau “saw – not military facilities – but burned and completely destroyed homes of Irpin residents who until recently enjoyed life and had their own plans for the future.”
On Monday, Emmanuel Macron, the French president, will travel to Berlin for talks with Scholz and for a big address.
Add Comment