Pressmediaofindia
Related Articles
20-04-2024
CAPRI: Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) major democracies have identified “specific steps” needed to help Ukraine fight Russia, Kyiv’s foreign minister said on Friday, warning Europe would be engulfed by war if Russia triumphed.
“We identified specific steps which Western partners will make to help Ukraine,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told reporters on the Italian island of Capri where G7 foreign ministers are meeting.
G7 foreign ministers met for a second day Friday on the Italian Mediterranean island of Capri amid concerns about a broader regional conflict in the Middle East and as the Ukraine war wears on.
In their final statement, the ministers have promised to “bolster Ukraine’s air defense capabilities.”
Following Iran’s drone and missile attack on Israel and explosions in Iran overnight into Friday, de-escalation in the region was among the other items discussed.
The foreign ministers also addressed China’s increasingly assertive moves in the Indian Ocean and Pacific region.
Group of Seven (G7) countries are examining whether they can use frozen Russian assets held in the West to aid Ukraine, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Friday after the meeting on Capri.
The United States and Britain have said they want the some $300 billion of sovereign Russian assets to be used to pay for Ukraine’s defense, but EU member states have previously questioned whether such a move would be legal.
Tajani said using the interest from the funds would be legally possible but that experts had yet to ascertain whether use of the capital itself could also have a legal basis.
In their final statement, the foreign ministers have promised to “bolster Ukraine’s air defense capabilities.”
Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven nations (G7) on Friday called for “all parties” to “work to prevent further escalation” in the Middle East after reports of explosions in Iran.
“In light of reports of strikes on April 19, we urge all parties to work to prevent further escalation. The G7 will continue to work to this end,” G7 ministers said in a communique.
Ministers from Italy, the UK, US, France, Germany, Japan and Canada said they “demand that Iran and its affiliated groups cease their attacks.”
“We will hold the Iranian government accountable for its malicious and destabilizing actions,” they said after a meeting on the Italian island of Capri.
“We call on all parties, both in the region and beyond, to offer their positive contribution to this collective effort.”
“We express our resolve in particular to bolster Ukraine’s air defence capabilities to save lives and protect critical infrastructure. We will also work with partners towards this end,” the ministers of Italy, the United States, the UK, France, Canada and Germany said in a final statement.
Their words come after a Russian missile strike overnight reportedly claimed eight lives in the Dnipropetrovsk region
The foreign ministers also said they would examine using frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine.
The communique added: “We reaffirm our unwavering determination to support democratic Ukraine as it defends its freedom, sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, within its internationally recognized borders.”
“We pay tribute to the bravery and resilience of the Ukrainian people, fighting for their freedom and democratic future.” (Int’l Monitoring Desk)
