• Russia’s appalling atrocities in Ukraine condemned

Arab News Japan

TOKYO: Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) condemned in the strongest terms what they described as “the appalling atrocities by Russian armed forces in Bucha and other Ukrainian towns.”

In a very strong joint statement released from Berlin on Thursday, they (G7) pledged “to continue to stand in full solidarity with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people.”

“We support the UN Secretary General’s call for an independent investigation that leads to effective accountability for these atrocities… and bring those who committed the attacks to justice,” they said.

The statement expressed unity and resolve by the G7 leaders “to raise the cost of this war for the architects of this aggression, that is Russian President Vladimir Putin and his accomplices, through coordinated action, continuing to apply economic and financial measures in reaction to the ongoing escalation of the war.”

The leaders of USA, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Italy and Japan set up their immediate priority “seven actions” which starts from banning new investment in key sectors of the Russian economy, including the energy sector, and further extending trade export bans on advanced goods and specific services important to Russia’s security, state, and economy.

Further, the G7 will also increase import restrictions on a range of Russia’s revenue raising exports.

Third, according to the statement, the G7 countries will continue to disconnect Russian banks from the global financial system, and fourth, will escalate pressure, including by imposing additional sanctions on state-owned entities that comprise the main drivers of Russia’s economy.

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said his country will coordinate with its G7 partners in imposing additional measures and continue to implement sanctions on Russia steadily.

The actions to suffocate the Russian economic existence by the G7 leaders also included elevating their campaign against the elites and their family members who support President Putin in his war effort and squander the resources of the Russian people. This will lead to imposing sanctions on additional individuals and entities, and against Russia’s defense sector to undermine and erode the capabilities of the Russian military to wage war.

The seventh action declared by the G7 is to reduce reliance on Russia for their energy, which include phasing out and banning Russian coal imports and accelerate steps to reduce their dependency on Russian oil.

To facilitate their economic, financial, energy and diplomatic war against Russia, the G7 countries will work together and with partners to ensure stable and sustainable global energy supplies, including by accelerating reduction of our overall reliance on fossil fuels and our transition to clean energy.

The leaders blamed President Putin’s “war of aggression” for causing global economic and food security disruptions.

The G7 leaders ended their statement by promising to continue to provide coordinated political, financial and material to the Ukrainian people and government, both for their immediate needs, as well as with a view to the longer-term reconstruction of the

country.