March 28, 2024

The G7 foreign ministers reiterate their support for Ukraine

The G7 countries agreed to continue supporting Ukraine. This was confirmed by the foreign ministers of the member states Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom at their meeting in Karuizawa, Japan. At the same time, they renewed the call on Russia to withdraw its forces “immediately and without conditions.” The focus should now be on continuing to support economic sanctions and preventing circumvention through third countries.

Japan: The Taiwan dispute is linked to Ukraine

Another topic of the workshop was how to deal with the Taiwan dispute. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida compared the situation in the democratic island nation with the situation in Ukraine. Referring to the growing military aggression of Ukraine and China in the Indo-Pacific region, he repeatedly warned that “Asia could be the Ukraine of tomorrow.” The representative of the Japanese government said before the start of the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting that the two disputes “cannot be discussed separately from each other.”

Strong change in Taiwan’s status is unacceptable

The G7 countries have repeatedly warned China against forcibly changing the island’s status. A senior US State Department official said Sunday that the talks will revolve around ensuring a “coordinated and joint approach” for Beijing. Speaking to reporters, the EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, stressed that he wanted a balanced approach: “Our position is the one-China policy, we respect it and we will continue to support it, but we want to defuse tensions and any violent change will be unacceptable.” After an interview with French President Emmanuel Macron, doubts were raised about the unity of the G7 countries towards China. In it, he had said that, for the sake of the United States, Europe should not be a “subordinate” on the Taiwan issue. Moreover, Europe must be careful not to become “dependent”. Dealing with China is also a source of debate in Germany.

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A week ago, Beijing conducted a three-day military exercise code-named “Unified Sword” around Taiwan, conducting attacks on “key targets” and imposing a blockade on the island, among other things.

Battles between Bakhmut and Sloviansk continue

Meanwhile, heavy fighting continued in eastern Ukraine over the weekend around the town of Bakhmut, which has been the focus of a battle for months. On Saturday, the Russian army claimed responsibility for the seizure of the northern and southern suburbs by the Wagner mercenary group. At least 11 people were killed in a Russian missile attack on an apartment building in Sloviansk, 45 kilometers from Pakhmut.

With information from Agence France-Presse