G7 vows to continue supporting Ukraine against Russia
A G7 source reveals that the Ukrainian President urged world leaders to do their utmost to end the war by the end of the year.
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The G7 leaders spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for nearly two hours by video link from Kiev
The Group of Seven (G7) countries vowed Monday enduring support for Ukraine against Russia, in a statement from its summit in southern Germany.
"We will continue to provide financial, humanitarian, military, and diplomatic support and stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes," the G7 said.
The G7 leaders spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for nearly two hours by video link from Kiev.
"As G7 we stand united on Ukraine's side and will continue our support. For this, we all have to take tough but necessary decisions," the summit's host, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz tweeted.
"We will continue to increase pressure on Putin. This war has to come to an end," he added.
As @G7 we stand united on Ukraine's side and will continue our support. For this, we all have to take tough but necessary decisions. Thank you, @ZelenskyyUa, for your participation today. We will continue to increase pressure on Putin. This war has to come to an end. #G7GER pic.twitter.com/avuvN5auPB
— Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz (@Bundeskanzler) June 27, 2022
Addressing Russia, the G7 said Moscow must allow grain shipments to leave Ukraine.
The club of rich nations expressed "serious concern" over Russia's stated plans to deliver missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads to Belarus in the coming months.
Kiev not ready to open negotiations with Moscow
A G7 source revealed that Zelensky had urged world leaders to do their utmost to end the war by the end of the year.
Zelensky stressed the need to keep heaping "heavy" punitive action on Russia, and "not lower the pressure" despite the multiple rounds of anti-Russian sanctions that Western allies have imposed.
The Ukrainian President said that he was not ready to open negotiations with Russia, as Kiev is still seeking to consolidate its positions, the French presidency quoted him as saying.
French President Emmanuel Macron's office indicated that "President Zelensky gave a very clear response that now is not the time for negotiations. Ukraine will negotiate when it is in a position to do so, that is, when it has basically re-established a position of strength."
Zelensky later said on his Telegram account he had asked leaders to cap the price of Russian oil.
