ROME: Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) on Saturday said that Russia is solely responsible for preventing a fair settlement to end the war in Ukraine.
The G7 joint statement came hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he would like to end the war with Russia next year through “diplomatic means.”
“Russia remains the sole obstacle to a just and lasting peace,” the G7, which is currently chaired by Italy, said in a statement marking 1,000 days of the Russian war on Ukraine.
The G7, comprised of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, and the United States, reaffirmed its commitment to imposing severe costs on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine through sanctions, export controls, and other effective measures, it added.
It expressed “unwavering support for Ukraine for as long as it takes,” adding: “We stand in solidarity, contributing to its fight for sovereignty, freedom, independence, territorial integrity, and reconstruction. We also recognize the impact of Russia’s aggression on vulnerable people around the world.”
Italy holds the 2024 rotating presidency of the G7.
Earlier today, Zelensky said Ukraine would like to end the war with Russia next year through “diplomatic means.” “We have to understand what the Russians want,” Zelensky said.
On Thursday, Russia’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva Gennady Gatilov said that any peace negotiation with Ukraine must be based on an “Istanbul Agreement” discussed two years ago under Turkish mediation, Daily Sabah reported.
“Negotiations to end the war between Russia and Ukraine that has been going on since February 2022 should be based on not Ukraine’s changing wishes but the realities on the ground first and the agreements reached in Istanbul,” Gatilov told reporters at the UN office in Geneva. – AFP
