G7 unites behind push to prevent Russia-Ukraine crisis
LIVERPOOL, England, (Reuters) - The Group of Seven richest democracies on Saturday sought to dissuade Russia from invading Ukraine, putting on a united front to warn of dire consequences for any incursion and urging Moscow to return to the negotiating table.
Led by British foreign minister Liz Truss, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the European Union and foreign ministers from France, Italy, Germany, Japan and Canada met in the northern English city of Liverpool.
The G7 meeting comes as the West frets over China’s military and economic ambitions, the possibility that talks to prevent Iran pursuing a path to nuclear weapons could fail, and as Russia masses troops on the Ukrainian border.
A senior U.S. State Department official described the day’s talks as “intense” and said there was still a diplomatic path to deescalate the tensions with Russia.
“If they (Russia) choose not to pursue that path, there will be massive consequences and severe costs in response, and the G7 is absolutely united in that,” she said. ““The kinds of costs that we are talking about are designed to be implemented very very fast.”
Addressing the opening session of the talks, British foreign minister Liz Truss had urged the G7 to speak with one voice.
“We need to defend ourselves against the growing threats from hostile actors and we need to come together strongly to stand up to aggressors who are seeking to limit the bounds of freedom and democracy,” she said at the start of the meeting.