The foreign ministers of the G7 countries reaffirmed their commitment to never recognize Russia’s annexation of four Ukrainian oblasts, marking the second anniversary of the illegal “referendums” held in occupied territories of Ukraine.
European Pravda published the statement by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which currently holds the G7 presidency. The foreign ministers of Italy, Canada, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, France, and Japan, along with the EU High Representative, emphasized their “unwavering support for Ukraine and its territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence.”
The G7 ministers declared, “We will never accept these and other violations of international law committed by Russia against Ukraine and its people, and we will continue to condemn in the strongest terms Russia’s illegal aggression, human rights violations in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, and ongoing brutal attacks that destroy civilian, critical, and urban infrastructure.”
The statement called on Russia to comply with the UN Charter and promised continued political, military, financial, economic, and humanitarian support for Ukraine and its legitimate defense.
The G7 ministers outlined a clear path to ending the conflict: “This war of aggression can end now if Russia immediately, completely, and unconditionally withdraws its troops from the entire territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders, renounces its claims to annex the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, as well as the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, and respects Ukraine’s sovereign rights as an independent state.”
The report notes that on 30 September 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed decrees “recognizing the independence” of the partially occupied Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. Subsequently, Russia blocked a UN Security Council resolution condemning the “referendums.”
Read also:
- Ukrainian brigade thwarts Russian motorcycle assault in Bakhmut sector (video)
- Russia boosts defense spending by 25% for 2025, hitting Cold War levels
- European parts still reaching Russian ships despite sanctions, BBC finds