The heads of diplomacy of the G7 countries promised on Friday to “strengthen Ukraine’s air defense capabilities” against attacks from Russia. The G7 is made up of the United States, Japan, Canada, France, Germany, Canada and Italy, which chairs the group this year.
“We express our commitment to strengthening Ukraine’s air defense capabilities,” they said in the final communique issued following their three-day meeting on the small Italian island of Capri. “We are also working with our partners for this purpose.”
This week, following Iran’s attack on Israel, the Ukrainian president compared the effectiveness of Israel’s air defenses with the effectiveness of his own country’s air defenses and expressed some disappointment at the lack of Western support for Kyiv.
“Threats” to world peace
According to the final statement, the ministers expressed “strong concerns” about the supply of Chinese materials to Russia that help its war machine in Ukraine. These are “dual-use materials and weapons components that Russia uses to enhance its military production,” they said.
“This allows Russia to rebuild and revitalize its defense industry, thereby posing a threat to Ukraine, international security and peace,” they complained. “China must ensure that this support ends as it will prolong the conflict and increase the threat Russia poses to its neighbors.”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed concern about this during a working session on the invasion of Ukraine and support for that country, which has been facing Russian troops for more than two years, an American diplomatic source said.
Putting pressure on China
The Americans, in particular, hope that European states will put pressure on Beijing to reduce military support for Russia at a time when, by Washington’s own admission, Russian troops are strengthening their position on Ukrainian soil.
The United States has said for months that it is monitoring the transfer of materials from China to Russia that Moscow is using to rebuild its defense industry, and this is being seen on the battlefield in Ukraine.
Washington set a red line for China – not to directly supply weapons to Russia for the war in Ukraine – and until now had no evidence to the contrary.
But the United States has increasingly condemned Beijing’s behind-the-scenes support for Russia and is now making a direct connection to the war in Ukraine amid the Sino-Russian rapprochement.
In breaking news hours after explosions near a military base in Iran, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated that the G7 is committed to working “for de-escalation” in the Middle East.
Source: Le Parisien
I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.
