G7 Leaders Unite in Condemning North Korea-Russia Military Cooperation and Supporting Ukraine

"Support for 3-Stage Ceasefire Plan... Accept and Restrain Offensive"
"China Must Stop Supplying Dual-Use Goods to Russia"

Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) issued a joint statement on the 14th (local time) strongly condemning the strengthening of military cooperation between North Korea and Russia. They also pledged support for Ukraine's freedom and reconstruction, as well as backing the "two-state solution" for Israel and Palestine. China was urged to halt its "overproduction" low-priced export offensive and the transfer of dual-use goods to Russia.

G7 Summit [Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

At the summit held in Puglia, Italy, the G7 leaders released a joint statement saying, "We strongly condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the increased military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, including North Korea’s ballistic missile exports that directly violate UN Security Council resolutions, Russia’s procurement of these missiles, and Russia’s use of such missiles against Ukraine."

They expressed "deep concern about the potential transfer of nuclear or ballistic missile-related technology to North Korea in violation of UN Security Council resolutions," and urged "Russia and North Korea to immediately cease all such activities and comply with relevant UN Security Council resolutions."

They also criticized North Korea's development and launch of ballistic missiles, calling on North Korea to completely, verifiably, and irreversibly dismantle all weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles. They pointed out that North Korea prioritizes illegal weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile development over the welfare of its people, and stated that international human rights organizations must be granted access and that the abduction issue must be resolved immediately.

Regarding Ukraine, they pledged continued support and assistance.

They stated, "With the participation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, we have decided to provide approximately $50 billion (about 68.5 trillion KRW) by utilizing the special revenues from frozen Russian state assets," and emphasized that Russia must end its illegal war of aggression and compensate for the $486 billion (about 675 trillion KRW) in damages caused to Ukraine, ensuring that it fulfills its obligations.

The day before, G7 leaders agreed to support Ukraine by using interest income generated from frozen Russian assets held by their respective institutions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Regarding the Gaza Strip war, they called for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and reaffirmed support for U.S. President Joe Biden’s "three-stage ceasefire plan."

The G7 leaders urged Hamas to "fully and clearly accept and implement the ceasefire proposal," and called on countries with influence over Hamas to help ensure this.

They also expressed "deep concern about the possibility of a full-scale military attack by Israel that could cause even more severe consequences for civilians," urging restraint in the offensive on Rafah, the southernmost city of Gaza.

The leaders took a stance to check China through the G7 summit.

The G7 leaders stated that the war in Ukraine continues due to China’s support for Russia and "called on China to halt the transfer of dual-use goods, including weapon components and equipment supplied to the Russian defense sector."

They claimed that China’s "overproduction" policy harms their domestic industries and said, "We will continue to take necessary and appropriate measures to protect our workers and businesses, establish a level playing field for fair competition, and remedy ongoing harm."

On June 12, the European Union (EU) significantly raised tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles from the existing 10% to 48% based on the results of an anti-subsidy investigation. Earlier, the United States imposed tariff bombs on Chinese imports in key strategic industries, including raising subsidies on Chinese electric vehicles to 100%.

They also called for a peaceful resolution to the cross-strait (China and Taiwan) issue.

They agreed to jointly respond to risks related to artificial intelligence (AI), climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss, among other environmental crises.

To strengthen the role of women, they announced plans to invest at least $20 billion (about 27.8 trillion KRW) over three years through international financial institutions. However, the accessibility to "safe and legal abortion," which was included in last year’s G7 summit joint statement, was omitted this year due to opposition from Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, the G7 chair.

They also announced the launch of a G7 coalition to address migration issues by cooperating with countries of origin and transit, preventing illegal immigration, and responding accordingly.