The Group of Seven (G7) countries are united in condemning Russia's military build-up and aggressive rhetoric against Ukraine - any military incursion will have huge consequences for Russia, for which it will have to pay a heavy price. This was said in a joint statement by G7 foreign ministers and the EU High Representative for Russia and Ukraine, released at the end of a two-day meeting in Liverpool.
"We, the foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States and the European Union High Representative, are united in our condemnation of Russia's military build-up and aggressive rhetoric toward Ukraine," the statement said.
"We call on Russia to de-escalate, use diplomatic channels, and adhere to its international commitments on military transparency, as President Biden called for during his December 7 conversation with President Putin," the G7 and EU diplomatic heads added.
They also reaffirmed support for "French and German efforts in the Normandy format to achieve full implementation of the Minsk agreements in order to resolve the conflict in eastern Ukraine."
"Any use of force to change borders is strictly forbidden by international law. Russia should have no doubt that further military aggression against Ukraine will have huge consequences and a heavy price to pay in response," the statement said.
G7 ministers and an EU representative reaffirmed "a firm commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity and to the right of any sovereign state to determine its own future."
"We welcome Ukraine's restrained position. We will intensify our cooperation on our common and comprehensive response," the G7 foreign ministers and the EU representative added.
