11/04/2022 22:05 (act 11/04/2022 22:10)
G7 foreign ministers meet in Munster ©APA/AFP Pool
Winter aid for Ukraine and harsh criticism of Russia and its ally Iran: G7 countries pledged their “unwavering” support to Kyiv in the face of continued Russian attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure. At their meeting in Munster on Friday, G7 foreign ministers accused Russia of “irresponsible nuclear rhetoric”. They also condemned the crackdown on protests in Iran and Tehran’s arms deliveries to Moscow.
During their two-day deliberations, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) and her colleagues from the US, Britain, France, Italy, Japan and Canada left no doubt about their determination to continue supporting Ukraine. “Each day of this brutal attack on innocent people in Ukraine means suffering, death and destruction,” Baerbock said.
“And even in the current situation where the Russian regime is trying to bomb Ukraine with targeted attacks on infrastructure in the dark and in the cold, we stand by Ukraine’s side – every day, as long as Ukraine needs us, it can be difficult. ourselves every day.”
In light of the setbacks for the Russian army, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin of trying to “freeze Ukraine into submission” by attacking civilian infrastructure.
G7 countries agreed on coordinated aid measures to rebuild Ukraine’s energy and water infrastructure. “Winter packages” are being assembled to supply the country with generators, live containers, water pumps and sanitation facilities.
G7 foreign ministers condemned Russia’s threats of a possible use of nuclear weapons as “unacceptable”. In their final statement, they also called on Russia to extend the agreement on the export of Ukrainian grain across the Black Sea. They supported an appeal by UN Secretary General António Guterres to Moscow. “We condemn Russia’s attempts to use energy and food exports as a means of exerting geopolitical pressure,” stressed the foreign ministers.
Transporting grain from Ukraine through a secure corridor in the Black Sea resumed on Thursday after Russia temporarily suspended the deal. However, Moscow has left open whether it will agree to an extension of the deal, which expires on November 19.
At the G7 meeting in Munster, a “remarkable degree of unity on virtually all issues” could be observed, said a US diplomat. In addition to Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, deliberations also focused on the protests in Iran. G7 foreign ministers denounced the “brutal and disproportionate use of force” by Iranian security forces and called for the release of the detained protesters.
An entire generation in Iran is rebelling “against oppression” in the country, Baerbock said. She condemned the deadly violence against the protesters. The Greens politician also harshly criticized Iranian arms deliveries to Russia. “All this has consequences, and the regime in Tehran must be aware of this,” he stressed. In view of the “recent massive human rights violations”, the Western allies would now introduce new sanctions.
With regard to China, the G7 foreign ministers said they were ready for “constructive cooperation” with Beijing whenever that was “possible and in our interest”. At the same time, they called on China to refrain from “threatening or intimidating” and to strive for a “peaceful solution” in view of the conflict with Taiwan. Beijing regards the island as a breakaway province that must be reunited with the mainland – if necessary using military force.
A cross that had been toppled during the deliberations of the G7 ministers in the Peace Hall in the historic town hall caused irritation at the meeting in Münster. This was removed during preparations for the conference at the historic town hall in order to prepare the hall as a conference venue, Baerbock said. She was not involved in the decision and only found out about it on Friday. She regrets the process, “because the cross is also part of the history of this place”, said the minister.