Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday stressed the urgency of helping his country’s army improve its stance against Russia in the coming months during a video meeting with major economic powers, which in turn will they pledged to support Ukraine “for as long as it takes.” the delicacy of the moment for Ukraine in its war with Russia at the summit of the Group of Seven, as leaders of major economies set out to unveil plans to pursue a cap on Russian oil prices, raise tariffs on Russian goods and impose other new sanctions.
In addition, the US was preparing to announce the purchase of an advanced surface-to-air missile system for Kyiv to help Ukraine fight Vladimir Putin’s aggression, a day after Russian missiles hit the capital Ukrainian government for the first time in weeks. and while his army continued a total assault on the last remaining Ukrainian stronghold in the Luhansk region.
From the front, clockwise: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, US President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen , European Council President Charles Michel, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and French President Emmanuel Macron. (AP)
New aid and efforts by G7 leaders to punish Moscow come when Zelenskyy has openly worried that the West will get tired of the cost of a war that is contributing to rising energy costs and rising energy costs. prices of essential goods worldwide. The Ukrainian leader spoke of his strategy for the course of the war, which has turned into a bloody artillery battle in the west and east of the country.
U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Zelenskyy’s main request was for more air defense systems, followed by financial support to help his government meet its financial obligations. Sullivan said most of the conversation was “about the way forward and how President Zelenskyy sees the course of the war.”
Zelenskyy also briefed G7 leaders on how his administration uses the aid it has received so far “to maximize Ukraine’s ability both to resist Russian advances and to pursue counterattacks whenever possible,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan added that the Ukrainian leader is “very focused on trying to get Ukraine in such an advantageous position on the battlefield as possible” in the coming months because he “believes that a strong conflict is not in the interest of the Ukrainian people.” “
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, US President Joe Biden, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida, French President Emmanuel Macron and European Council President Carles Michel. (AP)
Zelenskyy also told leaders that now is not the time to negotiate with Russia because it must first be in a stronger position, according to a senior French diplomat. The Ukrainian leader has said he will “negotiate when he is in a position to do so,” said the diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity in accordance with the usual practices of the French presidency.
“His goal is to end the war as soon as possible and get out of it in the best possible position, so that he can negotiate from a position of strength,” the diplomat said, adding that Zelenskyy told the leaders of the summit he needed. economic, financial and military support.
After listening to Zelenskyy, the leaders pledged in a statement to support Ukraine “for as long as it takes.” They stressed their “unwavering commitment to supporting the government and people of Ukraine” in the battle for their country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
They said that it is up to Ukraine to decide on a future peace agreement.
Emmanuel Macron takes an arm of Joe Biden while attending a family photography opportunity at Elmau Castle in Kruen. (AP)
Leaders were finalizing the deal to seek a price cap during their three-day G7 summit in the German Alps. Details of how a price cap would work, as well as its impact on the Russian economy, were to be resolved by G7 finance ministers, according to a senior administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity to preview the announcements of the summit.
Zelenskyy did not raise the issue of price limits, Sullivan said, but called on G7 countries to work to curb Russia’s energy benefits.
Larger democratic economies will also pledge to increase tariffs on Russian imports to their countries, with the US announcing new tariffs on 570 categories of goods, as well as the use of sanctions to target Russia’s defense supply chains which support their efforts to rearm during the war. .
Biden is expected to announce soon that the United States is acquiring NASAMS, an anti-aircraft system developed by Norway, to offer medium- and long-range defense, according to a person familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity. NASAMS is the same system used by the U.S. to protect sensitive airspace around the White House and the U.S. Capitol in Washington.
French President Emmanuel Macron whispers to US President Joe Biden after his dinner at the G7 summit in Elmau, Germany. (AP)
Additional aid includes more ammunition for Ukrainian artillery, as well as counter-battery radars, to support their efforts against the Russian assault on the Donbas, the person said. Biden also announces a $ 7.5 billion ($ 10.85 billion) commitment to help the Ukrainian government meet its expenses, as part of a withdrawal of the $ 40 billion military and economic aid package. dollars ($ 57.7 billion) that the law signed last month.
G7 leaders opened Monday’s session focusing on Ukraine. They later joined the leaders of five democratic emerging economies — India, Indonesia, South Africa, Senegal, and Argentina — for a discussion on climate change, energy, and other issues.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, host of the summit, said G7 countries’ policies on Ukraine are “very aligned” and see the need to be both tough and prudent.
The leaders of the group of seven gather for dinner at Elmau Castle in Kruen, near Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. (AP)
Scholz said Monday after meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that “we are making difficult decisions, that we are also prudent, that we will help … Ukraine as much as possible, but that we also prevent a major conflict.” . between Russia and NATO “.
Britain’s Boris Johnson said that in these circumstances, the G7 must “continue to help Ukrainians rebuild their economy, get their grain out, export their grain, and of course we must help them protect And that’s what we’re going to keep doing. “
In Brussels, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday that the military alliance would increase the size of its rapid reaction forces to almost 300,000 troops as part of its response to a “it was of strategic competition.” The NATO response force currently has about 40,000 troops that can be deployed quickly when needed.
Stoltenberg made the statements ahead of a NATO summit in Madrid later this week, when the organization’s 30 allies are also expected to agree more support for Ukraine in its war against Russia.
French President Emmanuel Macron, U.S. President Joe Biden, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau leave after posing for a group photo , during the G7 summit. (AP)
Scholz said last week that he wants the G7 to discuss the outlines of a “Marshall Plan for Ukraine,” referring to the U.S.-sponsored plan that helped revive European economies after World War II.
With war still underway and destruction increasing every day, it is unlikely to be a detailed plan at this stage. Scholz has said that “rebuilding Ukraine will be a task for generations.”
The G7 is already committed to helping fund Ukraine’s immediate needs. The group’s finance ministers agreed last month to provide $ 19.8 billion ($ 28.56 billion) in financial aid to help Kyiv keep basic services running and prevent tight finances from hindering its defense against Russian forces.
Leaders pose during a group photo at the G7 summit at Elmau Castle in Kruen, near Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. (AP)
A senior US official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss private talks between G7 leaders, said the US and Europe are aligned in their goals for a negotiated end to the conflict, even all if their roles sometimes seem different.
Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron have tried to facilitate this through active talks with Putin and Zelenskyy, while supplying weapons to Ukraine. The US has largely cut off important talks with Russia and aims to strengthen the capacity of Ukraine’s battlefield as much as possible so that its eventual position at the negotiating table is stronger.