On October 11, an urgent meeting of the heads of the G7 countries was held, which was attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“We strongly condemn these attacks and recall that indiscriminate attacks on innocent civilians constitute a war crime. We will bring President Putin and those responsible to justice,” the statement said, according to “RBC-Ukraine”.
The G7 strongly condemned Russia’s illegal attempt to annex Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions of Ukraine, as well as the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol. The country’s leaders have stated that they will never recognize this illegal annexation or the sham referendums that Russia uses to justify it.
“Russia has grossly violated the principles enshrined in the UN Charter. They cannot and do not give Russia legitimate grounds to change Ukraine’s borders. We call on all countries to unequivocally reject these violations of international law and demand that Russia cease all military activities and immediately, fully and unconditionally withdraw all its troops and military equipment from Ukraine,” the statement said.
The leaders of the Group of Seven noted that they would continue to impose additional sanctions on Russia, including individuals and entities – inside and outside Russia – that provide political or economic support to the aggressor country’s illegal attempts to change the status of Ukraine’s territory.
The G7 condemned Russia’s deliberate escalatory steps, including partial mobilization and irresponsible nuclear rhetoric, which threaten global peace and security.
“We reaffirm that any use of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons by Russia would have serious consequences”
the statement reads.The leaders of the countries condemn Russia’s actions at the Zaporizhzhia NPP and the pressure exerted on the facility’s personnel. Thus, the G7 will hold Russia responsible for any incident caused by their actions.
In its statement, the G7 also mentioned Belarus. The leaders called on the Belarusian authorities to stop facilitating Russia’s war of aggression by allowing the Russian armed forces to use the territory of Belarus and providing support to the Russian military.
“The announcement of a joint military grouping with Russia is the latest example of the Belarusian regime’s complicity with Russia. We reiterate our call on the Lukashenko regime to fully comply with its obligations under international law,” the statement reads.
The G7 will continue to provide financial, humanitarian, military, diplomatic and legal support and will stand firmly by Ukraine for as long as necessary. They are also committed to supporting Ukraine in its winterization efforts.
“No country wants peace more than Ukraine, whose people have suffered death, displacement and countless atrocities as a result of Russian aggression,” the statement said.
“The Group of Seven noted that a just peace should include the following elements:
– compliance with the UN Charter for the protection of territorial integrity and sovereignty;
– preserving Ukraine’s ability to defend itself in the future;
– Ensuring the restoration and reconstruction of Ukraine, including exploring ways to do so with funds from Russia;
– prosecution for Russian crimes committed during the war.
