G-7 Leaders Vow to Hold Putin Accountable

Brussels, March 24 (Jiji Press)--Leaders of the Group of Seven major countries Thursday condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine and agreed to hold Russian President Vladimir Putin and supporters of the aggression accountable for their acts. "To this end, we will continue to work together, along with our allies and partners around the world," the G-7 leaders said in a statement adopted at an emergency meeting in Brussels. They also expressed support for the gathering of evidence of war crimes. The G-7 leaders urged Russia to withdraw its military forces and equipment from the entire territory of Ukraine. They urged "all countries not to give military or other assistance to Russia to help continue its aggression in Ukraine," apparently out of concern that China may offer military support to Russia or help Moscow circumvent sanctions. All G-7 leaders, including Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and U.S. President Joe Biden, took part in person in the summit, which was also joined by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy virtually. Kishida, whose country will hold the rotating chair of the G-7 next year, said that the seven countries are resolved to lead the international fight against the Russian invasion. The G-7 leaders said "we will continue to stand with the overwhelming majority of the international community, in condemning Russia's military aggression and the suffering and loss of life it continues to cause." While vowing to fully implement sanctions on Russia that are already in place, the G-7 countries said they "stand ready to apply additional measures as required." The G-7 leaders also warned against any threat of the use of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons or related materials, while urging Russia to "refrain from any activity that imperils nuclear sites." The leaders said, "We are taking further steps to reduce our reliance on Russian energy, and will work together to this end." They also said, "We will step up our support to Ukraine and neighboring countries." The G-7 leaders met virtually on Feb. 24 and jointly announced sanctions on Russia on March 11. END