Abroad Today, 08:082G7 promises to strengthen sanctions against Russia

The final communique of the two-day G7 foreign ministers’ meeting in Japan expressed the determination to “strengthen sanctions against Russia, coordinate and fully implement them.”

“War crimes and other atrocities, such as Russia’s attacks on civilians and critical civilian infrastructure, cannot go unpunished,” emphasized the document released on Tuesday, which did not specify specific new sanctions.

The foreign ministers of the G7 countries – Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Canada, the USA and Great Britain – also agreed to continue to broadly support Ukraine.

The statement also warned of “severe consequences” for those who help Russia in its war against Ukraine.

At the meeting, Russia was criticized for “irresponsible nuclear rhetoric”, and the foreign ministers of the G7 countries characterized Moscow’s plans to deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus as unacceptable.

The foreign ministers’ joint statement also criticized China for its “militarization activities” in the South China Sea and insisted that the major powers’ policy on Taiwan had not changed, despite French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent remarks during a visit to Beijing that Europe should avoid “crises that are not our”.

“The basic position of the G7 member states on the Taiwan issue has not changed,” reads the communique, which calls peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait an integral part of global security and prosperity.

The statement criticized China for expanding its nuclear arsenal, expressing concern that Beijing was developing “increasingly advanced launch systems without transparency, credible arms control or risk reduction measures.”

Without directly mentioning China, the G7 foreign ministers promised to step up cooperation against “economic blackmail” when import or export rules are used for political purposes.

Despite the two dominant topics – the war in Ukraine and China’s growing military and economic influence – other international current affairs were also discussed during the two-day meeting.

At the meeting, the G7 foreign ministers also called on North Korea to refrain from further nuclear tests and ballistic missile launches.

In response to the bloody fighting between the army and a powerful paramilitary group in Sudan, the foreign ministers of the G7 countries called on both sides to “immediately and unconditionally end hostilities”.

G7 nations have repeatedly condemned the growing restrictions on women and minorities by the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, which foreign ministers described as “systematic abuses”.

The communiqué demanded that the Taliban “immediately reverse the unacceptable decisions”, which include the ban on women working in non-governmental organizations and the United Nations.

The G7 foreign ministers’ talks on the outskirts of Nagano came ahead of the G7 leaders’ summit in Hiroshima in May, where Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kisida wants active political discussions on nuclear disarmament.