The top diplomats of the Group of Seven industrialized countries met on Saturday at a summit on the banks of the River Mersey in Liverpool for talks dominated by the deployment of Russian troops near the border with Ukraine and what the host country, Gran Britain called Moscow “evil behavior” around the world.
The UK called for “a show of unity against global aggressors” while receiving US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the other G7 foreign ministers amid the Russia-Ukraine crisis and tensions with China and Iran.
“We have to defend ourselves against the growing threats from hostile actors,” said the British Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss, at the beginning of the meeting, which was also attended by foreign ministers from Canada, France, the United States, Germany, Italy and Japan. “And we have to unite strongly to confront the aggressors who seek to restrict the limits of freedom and democracy.”
The United States and its NATO allies are concerned that Moscow’s movement of troops and weapons in the border region could be the prelude to an invasion and have warned that if that happens, they will impose heavy sanctions on the Russian economy. Moscow has denied planning an attack on Ukraine and accuses Kiev of its own aggressive plans.
A senior US official who participated in Saturday’s talks said the G7 ministers were united in their “extreme concern” over developments on the Russia-Ukraine border. The official said ministers agree that the G7 will respond to any Russian invasion of Ukraine, to cause Moscow “massive consequences and severe costs.”
The official did not elaborate on what those consequences could be, but said they will be implemented “very, very quickly” if Russia does not heed warnings to back down.
The United States and its allies have said little about a possible military response to defend Ukraine, and current efforts are focused on strong sanctions that seek to affect the Russian economy, rather than just a few people.
In the United States, journalists asked President Joe Biden on Saturday about the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine. The president responded that this idea has never been considered.
“Are we ready to send American troops to war and go to Ukraine to fight the Russians on the battlefield?” Biden asked.
The US president said he has made it clear to Putin that, in the event of an invasion, “the economic consequences for his economy will be devastating. Devastating ”.
European Union Foreign Affairs Director Josep Borrell, who is also attending the two-day conference, said ministers were determined “to make Russia understand that anything that could represent an attack on Ukraine would come at a high price.” .
Getting a unified response from the G7, a group of countries with disparate interests, has often been difficult.
Germany plans to get gas from Russia soon through the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which runs through Ukraine. Britain, which is not dependent on Russian gas, generally takes a stricter line on the pipeline, but faces tough questions about London’s financial district and property market, both hubs for Russian capital. Local authorities have for years been accused of turning a blind eye to their funds around the world.
The summit is the last major act of the year for the UK at the head of the G7. The diplomats’ agenda will also address delays in efforts to vaccinate the entire world population against COVID-19 and China’s show of force in the Indo-Pacific region.
While the G7 foreign ministers meet, negotiators in Vienna try to revive the nuclear deal with Iran, which was created to curb the Iranian nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of sanctions against Tehran.
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