The G7 foreign ministers announced on Monday 17 April, at a meeting in Japan, that they were willing to strengthen sanctions against Russia in the context of the Russian aggression in Ukraine.
“The G7 Foreign Ministers confirmed that they remain committed to intensifying, fully coordinating and enforcing sanctions against Russia, as well as to continuing strong support for Ukraine”, said the statement from the Japanese Presidency of the G7.
At their last meeting, the Ministers warned that they would adopt sanctions on diamonds. When asked about this, and given that EU Member States have thus far been unable to come to an agreement, an EU source said that diamonds were a subject that the EU had been working on for some time. “It needs to be addressed collectively with the G7. EU Member States want to move forward, but this depends on a broader coalition”, she added.
Germany, for its part, has called for sanctions against the Russian nuclear sector, but this is not unanimously supported by the EU27 (see other news).
G7 Ministers have agreed to strengthen coordination to prevent and respond to the circumvention of sanctions and the supply of arms to Russia by third parties. At a working session on Iran, the ministers warned that they would call on Tehran to stop assisting the Russian army in its war of aggression.
In addition to condemning Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, the G7 reaffirmed that Russia’s “irresponsible” nuclear rhetoric was “unacceptable”.
“It is important to maintain unity among the G7 and other like-minded countries, to continue severe sanctions against Russia and strong support for Ukraine, and to strengthen cooperation with countries including the so-called ‘Global South’”, said Japanese Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, according to the statement. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)