The G7 countries are planning to impose an embargo on the import of Russian gold in order to deprive the Russian Federation of tens of billions of dollars a year, US President Joe Biden said.
“The United States has imposed unprecedented spending on Putin to deprive him of the income he needs to finance the war against Ukraine. Together, the G7 will announce that we will ban the import of Russian gold – a major export that brings Russia tens of billions of dollars,” Biden tweeted on Sunday.
Earlier it was reported that the meetings of the leaders of the G7 countries, which will also be joined by the leaders of Argentina, India, Indonesia, Senegal and South Africa, will be held in Germany from June 26 to 28.
US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that, among other things, the summit participants will discuss new measures aimed at isolating Russia from the world economy and disrupting supply chains for the Russian defense complex. It is also planned to reach new agreements to reduce energy and food prices in the world.
The summit will take place in the Bavarian Alps in Elmau. The last summit chaired by Germany, when Angela Merkel was Chancellor, was also held there.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson calls on the G7 countries, whose leaders start a three-day summit near Munich on Sunday, to continue supporting Ukraine in the fight against Russian armed aggression.
“Now is not the time to give up on Ukraine, they need the support and determination of the G7 more than ever,” he tweeted.
“The UK will continue to stand by Ukraine at every turn because we know their security is our security and their freedom is our freedom,” Johnson said.
The negative global impact of Russia’s war will be at the center of discussions at the G7 summit in Germany, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Sunday.
“We will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes,” she tweeted.
Other highlights of the summit, she said, include security of energy supplies and global food security, investment in resilient infrastructure and global pandemic preparedness.
“We will also discuss how we can best deal with price increases without compromising our climate goals,” the Commission President added.
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Boris Johnson, after the meeting of the countries of the British Commonwealth, expressed confidence that the Ukrainian issue will be one of the main issues at the next meeting of the G7 representatives.
“It has been a fantastic few days in Kigali. We are working together with our Commonwealth friends to stimulate trade and investment, advance the green industrial revolution and find solutions to the crisis in Ukraine that will be the focus of the G7 in the coming days,” he wrote in Twitter Saturday night.
As reported, on June 24, Johnson said that the countries of the British Commonwealth together will be able to achieve a reduction in world food prices.
“Global prosperity and stability are under threat – Commonwealth countries bear the brunt of Putin’s recklessness in Ukraine. Together we can bring down food prices and get the world economy back on track while standing up for the freedoms we all believe in,” he wrote.
Foreign Ministers of Ukraine Dmitry Kuleba and Moldova’s Nikolai Popescu will attend the meeting of the G7 foreign ministers, which starts on Thursday in Germany, the Süddeutsche Zeitung reported on Wednesday.
“The representative of the German Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday in Berlin that the discussions near the Baltic Sea in Schleswig-Holstein will periodically join the Foreign Ministers of Ukraine Dmitry Kuleba and Moldovan Nikolay Popescu,” the newspaper writes.
The publication recalls that Germany is currently chairing the G7. At the meeting of the G7 foreign ministers, they will discuss the consequences of the situation around Ukraine, its impact on energy and food security.
Ministers will also talk about China and the situation in the Indo-Pacific region, the situation in the Middle East, Africa and Afghanistan, climate change and the coronavirus pandemic. Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, whose country now chairs the G20, will take part in some of the discussions.
Later, the Süddeutsche Zeitung recalls, on May 14-15, the foreign ministers of the NATO countries will gather for an informal meeting in Berlin. At the same time, the newspaper specifies, on Saturday the Foreign Ministers of Sweden and Finland, Ann Linde and Pekka Haavisto, will join the consultations.
In turn, the German Foreign Ministry noted that this format of meetings within NATO will be held for the first time, it should contribute to the development of a dialogue between the members of the alliance, a more direct and open exchange of views.
The G7 countries and the UN are ready to provide Ukraine with full support in increasing the export of Ukrainian agricultural products via new logistics routes, bypassing its ports blocked by the aggressor country of the Russian Federation, Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine Roman Leschenko said on his Telegram channel on Tuesday.
They are also ready to help in the sowing campaign, the supply of food and fuel, Leschenko wrote about the results of the online meeting of the ministers of agricultural policy of the G7 countries, the EU Commissioner for Agricultural Policy, as well as representatives of the UN World Food Program and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.
“We discussed the situation with food and sowing in Ukraine. I am grateful to the partners for their sincere understanding and for their support in expanding the markets for Ukrainian agricultural products through new logistics routes, supporting fuel and lubricants in the sowing campaign in Ukraine and supplying food kits for Ukrainians into the war zone,” the minister said.
He said that the meeting participants expressed their full support for Ukraine in these issues, and expressed hope for a quick joint solution of all challenges facing Ukraine.
The G7 countries welcome Ukraine’s statements of commitments to abandon coal and move towards zero CO2 emissions into the atmosphere.
“G7 Ambassadors were pleased to discuss Ukraine’s plans to combat climate change with Minister of Environment Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine Roman Abramovsky and Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna. Ambassadors encouraged Ukraine to submit an ambitious 2nd Nationally Defined Contribution for COP26 by the end of July,” G7 Ambassadors said on the Twitter page.
In particular, the ambassadors welcomed Ukraine’s statements of commitments to transition away from coal and move towards net-zero. A cross-government approach is essential to deliver reforms, create the conditions for investment, and incentivise clean energy in order to meet Ukraine’s goals.
