G7 Threatens Russia with New Sanctions If Ceasefire Rejected
The G7 countries have declared their readiness to impose new sanctions against Russia and increase support for Ukraine if Moscow rejects the proposed ceasefire, Reuters reports, citing a joint statement by G7 foreign ministers adopted after a meeting in Canada.
In the document, the ministers called on Russia to ‘reciprocate by agreeing to a ceasefire on equal terms and fully respecting it.’
‘We discussed further sanctions against Russia in the event that such a ceasefire is not agreed upon, including through further sanctions, oil price caps, and additional support for Ukraine and other means,’ the statement said.
It also notes that possible measures include the use of profits from frozen Russian state assets.
‘We underlined that any ceasefire must be respected and stressed the need for robust security measures to ensure that Ukraine is able to deter and defend itself against any further acts of aggression,’ the ministers said.
They also reaffirmed their intention to continue coordinating economic and humanitarian assistance to support Ukraine's rapid recovery and reconstruction, in particular during the Ukraine Recovery Conference to be held in Rome on 10-11 July 2025.
In addition, the G7 condemned military assistance to Russia from North Korea and Iran, as well as the supply of weapons and dual-use components from China, which they said is a key factor in supporting Russia's military campaign and rebuilding its army.
‘We have reaffirmed our intention to continue to take action against such third countries,’ the statement said.
As The Gaze previously reported, on 13 March, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that he agrees with the proposal to cease fire in Ukraine, but made it clear that Moscow could set its own conditions for any agreement.
US President Donald Trump noted that Putin ‘made a very promising statement, but it was not complete’. He also stressed that if Russia abandons the 30-day ceasefire, it will be a ‘disappointing moment for the world’.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, for his part, said that Putin's words were ‘very predictable and manipulative’ and that he was ‘actually preparing a refusal’.