The Foreign Ministers’ Summit of the G7 countries, hosted by German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, started in the town of Wangels in the state of Schleswig-Holstein in the north of the country.
When the ministers met for the first time yesterday at dinner, the US was represented by Undersecretary Victoria Nuland instead of Antony Blinken, the Minister of Foreign Affairs who caught Covid-19 and the quarantine period did not end.
In the statement made by the American delegation, it was announced that Blinken is in good health and can attend the NATO Foreign Ministers’ Summit, which will be held in Berlin tomorrow, after the quarantine is completed.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dimitro Kuleba and Moldovan Foreign Ministers Nicu Popescu were also invited to the summit in Wangels, which was guarded by 3,500 police.
Baerbock: “War could cause food crisis”
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who opened the summit on behalf of Germany, which assumed the term presidency of the G7 countries for a year, said, “One of the aims of the brutal war that Russia has launched against Ukraine is to divide the world.”
Expressing that the representatives of the G7 countries constantly keep on their agenda the necessary steps to help Ukraine and strengthen the country’s defense, the Minister emphasized that while we continue to support Ukraine with military materials, we attach great importance to the fact that NATO does not enter the war.
Reminding that 25 million tons of grain were blocked in Ukrainian ports due to the war, Baerbock stated that a global food crisis, which may affect African and Middle Eastern countries in particular, is waiting at the door, and that as G7 countries, they will make efforts to distribute the grain in question to world markets.
British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss also announced that they are working on making military support to Ukraine faster and more effective. Truss said: “Until now, Ukraine cannot protect itself adequately because old models have been sent in arms aid. Therefore, from now on, we need to switch to military support in accordance with NATO’s current standards.”
Kuleba: “Toughen the sanctions”
Reiterating his demand for more heavy weapons shipments, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba said that this would not mean drawing NATO into the war, and said, “There is no reason to doubt that an Atomic War will break out. It should not be forgotten that such a war will also end Russia.”
Kuleba called for the toughening of sanctions against Russia and announced that he would continue to work on Ukraine’s becoming a candidate country for the EU. “We are going through a period where history has changed and we are reshaping history,” said the Minister.
At the Foreign Ministers’ Summit of the G7 countries, it was announced that apart from the Russia-Ukraine war, issues such as relations with China, the situation in Afghanistan, Africa and the Middle East, and the joint struggle against the climate crisis and pandemic will be discussed.
The leaders of the G7 countries, on the other hand, will meet at the Elmau Palace in the Bavarian Alps between 26-28 June 2022 under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Olaf Scholz. In addition to the war in Ukraine and reactions to Russia, issues of climate protection and strengthening democracies will be on the agenda at the summit. The G7, also called the “Group of Seven”, is made up of the USA, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Japan and Canada.
Finland on the agenda of NATO Foreign Ministers meeting
On the other hand, it has been announced that NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who has a positive Covid-19 test, will not be able to attend the NATO Foreign Ministers Meeting to be held tomorrow and Sunday in the capital Berlin, and that NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana will take his place.
At the summit, where Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu is expected to attend, it is expected to discuss significantly increasing the military support given to Ukraine by NATO countries, strengthening the defense capability of the allied countries and better securing the southeastern flank of the alliance. Another important issue will be Finland’s decision to speed up the process regarding NATO membership.
In response to Finland’s statement, Russia announced that the country’s possible membership “is a threat to its national security and will take the necessary steps”. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said, “If Finland makes an application for membership, it will be welcomed in NATO, the accession process will be smooth and fast.”