G7 "Will Make Them Pay"... Announces Additional Sanctions Against Russia

Reaffirmation of Financial and Humanitarian Support for Ukraine

On the 19th (local time), at the major 7 countries (G7) summit held in Hiroshima, Japan, the leaders of each country mentioned plans for additional sanctions against Russia, which invaded Ukraine, and demanded a full withdrawal, according to major foreign media.

The official G7 summit statement has not been adopted yet. In a draft statement related to the Ukraine war, the G7 leaders said, "Peace cannot be achieved without the complete and unconditional withdrawal of Russian troops and military equipment, and this must be included in all proposals for peace." They added, "We will impose additional sanctions to ensure those supporting Russia's war pay the price."

The G7 leaders also said, "We are working to ensure that Russia can no longer weaponize energy availability against us and the world, and we are succeeding." They continued, "We reaffirm our commitment to provide the financial, humanitarian, military, and diplomatic support Ukraine needs," adding, "Russia's invasion is illegal and unjustifiable."

The statement also condemns Russia's nuclear threats and expresses concern over China's nuclear force expansion. According to NHK, a statement focusing on nuclear disarmament will be released separately from the joint statement at the G7 summit. This is the first time a nuclear disarmament statement has been issued at a G7 summit.

The draft nuclear disarmament statement includes content recalling the unprecedented devastation and extremely severe humanitarian suffering experienced by the people living in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, where atomic bombs were dropped, reaffirming the G7 leaders' resolve gathered in Hiroshima to realize a "world without nuclear weapons." It emphasizes the importance of the fact that nuclear weapons have not been used since the atomic bombings during World War II and states that the nuclear threats by Russia, which continues its invasion of Ukraine, are dangerous and unacceptable.

Expressing concern over China's nuclear force expansion, the statement also calls for nuclear-armed countries that do not disclose objective information about their nuclear forces to be transparent. The Japanese government plans to finalize the statement's content after discussions on nuclear disarmament (the third session of the G7 summit) later that night.