G7 to continue supporting Ukraine despite kremlin’s nuclear threats
Photo: Getty Images
Nuclear threats emanating from the kremlin will not affect the determination of the G7 states to continue supporting Ukraine.
This is stated in a joint statement by Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, Great Britain, the USA, and the EU, Ukrinform reports.
"We reiterate our condemnation of russia's irresponsible nuclear rhetoric. It will not distract or dissuade us from supporting Ukraine for as long as necessary," the G7 countries said.
They also promised to strengthen further and expand sanctions against supporters of the putin regime.
"We will continue to impose economic sanctions on russia, as well as on individuals and legal entities, both within the country and abroad, who provide political or economic support for violations of international law," the statement's signatories emphasized.
The G7 members also state that they are "unwavering in their support of Ukraine's right to defend itself against russia's aggressive war and its undoubted right to return all territories."
The statement also states that "russia must immediately end its aggressive war, withdraw all troops and equipment from Ukraine, and respect the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders."
"We confirm that Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions, as well as Crimea, are integral parts of Ukraine," the document states.
For reference:
In his annual appeal to the federal assembly on February 21, the president of the russian federation, vladimir putin, announced that russia was suspending its participation in the Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty.
The USA and russia signed the treaty in 2010. According to its terms, each side will reduce its strategic offensive weapons so that, seven years after the entry into force of the document and thereafter, their combined numbers do not exceed 700 deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles, and heavy bombers, 1,550 warheads, 800 deployed and non-deployed launchers of the abovementioned arms (namely deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles and heavy bombers). The contract, designed for ten years, ended on February 5, 2021, but the document provides for the possibility of extension by mutual agreement of the parties. In February 2021, Washington and moscow extended the treaty for the maximum possible five years.
On February 3, NATO announced that russia had not fulfilled the terms of the Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty and called on moscow to resume inspections of its nuclear arsenals.
