Foreign ministers from the G7 reached a joint statement, backing Ukraine's territorial integrity and threatening Russia with new sanctions if it does not follow a ceasefire.
The foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US as well as EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas met in Quebec's Charlevoix on March 12-14.
"We reaffirmed our unwavering support for Ukraine in defending its territorial integrity and right to exist, and its freedom, sovereignty and independence," they said in Friday’s joint statement.
The top diplomats welcomed ongoing efforts to achieve a ceasefire, and in particular the meeting on March 11 between the US and Ukraine in Saudi Arabia.
Applauding Ukraine's commitment to an immediate ceasefire, the ministers called for Russia to reciprocate by agreeing to a ceasefire on equal terms and implementing it fully.
"We discussed imposing further costs on Russia in case such a ceasefire is not agreed, including through further sanctions, caps on oil prices, as well as additional support for Ukraine, and other means.
This includes the use of extraordinary revenues stemming from immobilised Russian Sovereign Assets," according to the statement.
Underlining the importance of confidence-building measures under a ceasefire including the release of prisoners of war and detainees, they emphasised "that any ceasefire must be respected and underscored the need for robust and credible security arrangements to ensure that Ukraine can deter and defend against any renewed acts of aggression."
G7 foreign ministers back Syria and Lebanon’s territorial integrity, support inclusive political transition in Syria under UNSC Resolution 2254, and discuss Gaza, Ukraine, and regional security.
Middle East, regional issues
The foreign ministers also reaffirmed their support for resuming unhindered humanitarian aid in Palestine’s Gaza and for a permanent ceasefire.
Without mentioning a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine, they "underscored the imperative of a political horizon for the Palestinian people, achieved through a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that meets the legitimate needs and aspirations of both peoples and advances comprehensive Middle East peace, stability and prosperity."
According to the joint statement, they noted "serious concern" over the growing tensions and hostilities in the occupied West Bank and calls for de-escalation.
Saying that Hamas can have "no role" in Gaza’s future, they affirmed readiness to engage with Arab partners on their proposals to chart a way forward on reconstruction in Gaza and build a lasting Israeli-Palestinian peace.
Separately, they reiterated the importance of Syria’s and Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
They also stressed that Iran is the "principal source of regional instability" and must never be allowed to develop and acquire a nuclear weapon.
The US proposal involves engineering a $50B loan to help Ukraine in its fight against Russia that would use interest earned on profits from Russia's frozen central bank assets.
The final communique said that G7 reiterated commitment to upholding a "free, open, prosperous and secure" Indo-Pacific.
"We remain seriously concerned by the situations in the East China Sea as well as the South China Sea and continue to oppose strongly unilateral attempts to change the status quo, in particular by force and coercion," they added.
The foreign ministers expressed concern over China’s military build-up, and demanded that North Korea abandon all its nuclear weapons and any other weapons of mass destruction as well as ballistic missile programs.
Building stability and resilience in Haiti and Venezuela, supporting lasting peace in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and strengthening sanctions and countering hybrid warfare and sabotage were the other issues they agreed on.
