G7 Voices Support for Ukraine and Calls on China to Pressure Russia to End the War

The Group of Seven (G7) nations have reaffirmed their support for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia during a meeting of senior diplomats under Japan's chairmanship in New York, with further talks scheduled for November in Tokyo, as reported by Kyodo News.

Making her diplomatic debut at the annual United Nations General Assembly session,  Japan's new foreign minister Yoko Kamikawa, who took over from Yoshimasa Hayashi last week and became the first woman appointed to this position in nearly two decades, chaired her first G7 meeting.

In a statement released after the meeting, Kamikawa stated that G7 members "once again reaffirmed their commitment to support Ukraine as much as needed and strongly condemned Russia's aggressive war."

"Russia must immediately, fully, and unconditionally withdraw its troops and military equipment from Ukraine's internationally recognized territory," the statement continued, criticizing Moscow's threats to deploy nuclear weapons in neighbouring Belarus.

Regarding Russia's war against Ukraine, which began in February 2022, the statement called on China to "exert pressure on Russia to halt its military aggression."

G7 members also welcomed China's participation in the meeting led by Ukraine in Jeddah and "further called on China to support a just and durable peace, including through direct dialogue with Ukraine," the statement said.

This statement comes as China's top diplomat, Wang Yi, embarks on a four-day visit to Russia, during which both countries are expected to deepen their political ties, with a possible visit by Russian President Putin to Beijing on the horizon.

It's worth noting that China has refrained from condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine since the conflict erupted in February 2022 and has significantly increased trade with Moscow amid Western sanctions. Beijing has put forth a so-called "peaceful plan" containing vague formulations.

In a document titled "China's Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukrainian Crisis" published on China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, China calls for respecting the sovereignty of all countries, abandoning the "Cold War mentality," ending military actions, and sitting down for negotiations. The document also advocates for ending "unilateral sanctions."

It's important to mention that Ukrainian perceptions of China have shifted from relatively neutral in October of the previous year, with 63% considering China a neutral country, to a more neutral-negative view in June 2023, with 34% perceiving it as a hostile nation and 52% as neutral.