On Tuesday, November 26, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha took part in a special session of the Group of Seven Ministerial Meeting in Italy dedicated to the support of Ukraine.
The meeting was chaired by Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada Melanie Joly, US Foreign Minister Anthony Blinken, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany Annalena Baerbock, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan Iwa Takeshi, EU Diplomacy Head Josep Borrell and the UK Foreign Office Political Director Christian Turner.
The Ukrainian Foreign Minister expressed gratitude to the allies for their support of our country and called on them to be united and firm against the backdrop of Russian aggression and blackmail.
The Minister drew the attention of his colleagues to Russia's recent steps to expand the war: the involvement of DPRK troops, strikes on Ukraine's nuclear energy facilities, and the use of a medium-range ballistic missile.
He also gave practical examples of Russia's deepening military-technical cooperation with Iran and the DPRK and placed special emphasis on Russia's strengthening of military capabilities, the military-industrial complex, and the economy of North Korea, which poses a direct threat to stability in the Indo-Pacific region and the world.
«Due to Russia's expansion of the war against Ukraine, security in Europe and the Indo-Pacific are now directly linked. Russian aggression poses a global threat and requires a decisive global response, primarily through a significant increase in support for Ukraine and peace through strength,» stated Andrii Sybiha.
The Foreign Minister called on the Group of Seven countries to make large-scale investments in the Ukrainian defense industry. He emphasized that this is the most effective way to quickly strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities, stimulate our economy, and develop technologies.
In light of Russia's use of IRBMs against Ukraine, the Minister called on allies not to succumb to Russian blackmail and instead to take a number of steps that will further strengthen Ukraine's air shield, including IRBM intercept capabilities and systemic measures to deter and counter Russia's ability to produce and use such missiles.
The Foreign Minister emphasized the importance of increasing sanctions pressure on the aggressor state and closing the ways to circumvent sanctions. He expressed gratitude to the United States and the United Kingdom for the decisions already taken to limit Russia's «shadow fleet» and called on all allies to increase the pressure and deprive Russia of oil and gas revenues used to finance the war.
The Minister expressed his gratitude for the decisions taken by the Group of Seven during the Italian presidency to use the immobilized Russian assets to support Ukraine and called for the swift practical implementation of these decisions, as well as the full use of the assets.
«Supporting Ukraine is not charity, but the best investment in the security of the entire Euro-Atlantic community and the world. With timely and sufficient support, we are able to overcome aggression and achieve a comprehensive, just and sustainable peace based on the Peace Formula,» he concluded.