After Russia’s statements on the Ukrainian grain export agreement, American and European aid to Ukraine is on the agenda.
The group of G7 countries is determined to stop Russia from “starving” and “freezing” Ukrainians this winter and will discuss ways to bolster their support for Kyiv at a two-day meeting in Germany.
“We will not allow the brutality of this war to lead to the mass deaths of older people and children, young people or families in the coming winter months,” said the German Foreign Minister on Thursday at the opening of the meeting of the G7 diplomatic heads in Münster, in western Germany. Organizing support for Ukraine is high on the agenda of this meeting, with the idea of sending a new message of determination to Russia, which has been leading the offensive against Kyiv since February 24.
Annalena Baerbock, whose country will chair the G7 until the end of the year, denounced Russia’s “treacherous methods” of waging war by trying to “starve, die of thirst or freeze people by attacking civilian infrastructure”. Many Ukrainian cities, including the capital Kyiv, have come under bombardment in recent weeks, particularly targeting civilian equipment and causing water and power outages. According to diplomatic sources, during the meeting the ministers will focus in particular “on the means of further supporting Ukraine” in all areas, while Europeans and Americans are already providing massive economic and military aid. According to other diplomatic sources, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba is due to intervene via video conference during the discussion session on the war in Ukraine.
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“This G7 ministerial meeting comes at an important time for us,” a senior US diplomat told reporters, stressing that the group is “essential for establishing coordination mechanisms” for the international community’s response to current crises, from war in Ukraine to North Korea. In this regard, Annalena Baerbock declared that she condemned “in the strongest terms” the new launch of ballistic missiles carried out by Pyongyang on Thursday, the day after a record volley of gunfire that peaked tensions in the region. “There are clear UN resolutions on nuclear tests, which are prohibited, which is why the announcement is a violation of international resolutions,” said the minister at the opening of a G7 meeting in Münster, west Germany.
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China, a “competitor” and a “rival”
The G7 countries will also discuss their relations with Beijing and are ready to view China as “competitors” and “rivals,” German diplomatic chief Annalena Baerbock said on Thursday.
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“Japan, as a G7 country, regularly emphasizes how important it is for us to recognize and see that China has changed in recent years, that it is not only a partner in international issues, but also a competitor and much more a rival – and against this background, China will be on the agenda of today’s G7 meeting,” the minister said at the opening of that meeting.