The foreign ministers of the G-7 countries met in Liverpool, in the north of England. At the meeting, the ministers tried to present a united front against Russia in the Ukraine crisis.
The G-7 meeting, attended by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his counterparts from France, Italy, Germany, and Japan, was held at a time when international concerns increased that Russia might invade Ukraine. Russia, on the other hand, denies that it is preparing any attack.
British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss had a bilateral meeting with Blinken on Friday night. According to a statement from the British Foreign Office, the two ministers expressed their deep concern about the Russian troops building up on the Ukrainian border.
The statement warned that any attack by Russia would “be a strategic mistake with serious consequences”.
Speaking at the opening of the meeting, British Minister Truss said, “We must defend ourselves against the growing threats from hostile actors and come together strongly to oppose aggressors who want to limit freedom and democracy. In order to do this, we need a stronger common voice.”
Ukraine is at the center of the crisis in East-West relations. Kiev accuses Russia of massing thousands of its soldiers on the border in preparation for a possible large-scale military action.
Russia, on the other hand, criticizes Ukraine and the US for exhibiting destabilizing behavior and emphasizes that you need security guarantees to protect yourself.
President Joe Biden’s administration is sending Karen Donfried, Assistant Secretary of State for Europe at the US Department of State, to Ukraine and Russia from December 13-15 to meet with senior government officials.
In a statement from the US State Department, it was stated that Deputy Undersecretary Donfried will emphasize that diplomatic progress can be made to end the conflict in the Donbas through the implementation of the Minsk agreements.
Warning to Russia from the American official
A senior US State Department official said the G-7 was unanimous over concerns over Russia’s military buildup and the costs that Moscow would incur if it invaded Ukraine.
Noting that “intensive” talks are being held in the UK, the official noted that there is still a diplomatic way to reduce tensions with Russia.
Other geopolitical issues, such as Iran’s nuclear activities, are also discussed at the meeting in Liverpool.
G-7 term chairman, Britain’s foreign minister, Truss, told reporters before the talks that the G-7 meeting aimed to show “the image of unity of like-minded major economies in taking a strong stance against the aggression on Ukraine”.
Britain has called on the G-7 countries to be more stringent in defending the “free world”.
The G-7 meeting is also expected to make a joint call on Iran to downgrade its nuclear program and seize the opportunity presented by the talks held in Vienna to revive the international nuclear agreement.
It was stated that Truss and Blinken also underlined the need for Iran to take a stand for dialogue in the talks.
Germany, which will take over the G-7 term presidency from the UK, is also scheduled to announce its own program for the next year during the meeting.
Ministers of the EU, Australia, South Korea and India, as well as representatives from ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, will attend some sessions of the G-7 meeting as guests.