In late November, foreign ministers of the leading industrialized nations, the G7, met to discuss some of most pressing issues of the day. It was the last G7 meeting for Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and he took the opportunity to look back at some of the events of the past four years that “transformed the group into a steering committee for the world’s leading democracies.”
“Our work has shown that when we come together, when we act in common purpose, we can better the lives of the people we represent and indeed better the lives of people everywhere,” he said.
“Today, our G7 partners pledged steadfast support for Ukraine into and through 2025, continuing what has been a truly unprecedented partnership – sharing the burden, determined to do everything that we can to help Ukraine deal with the ongoing Russian aggression,” said Secretary Blinken.
“The U.S. is continuing to surge security assistance to bolster Ukraine’s defenses in the east and to respond to the escalation by Russia and in particular now the involvement of troops from North Korea.”
“This is a matter of grave concern for all the members of the G7, both because of what it means for Ukraine, what it means for broader European security, but also what it means in the Indo-Pacific,” he said.
“The relationship between Russia and North Korea is a two-way street. We see what North Korea is doing for Russia in Ukraine right now with the troops, but we also are looking attentively at what Russia is and may be doing for North Korea, including potentially boosting its missile and nuclear capacity.”
The participation of North Korean troops in Russia’s war against Ukraine, as well as China’s ongoing support for Russia’s defense industrial base, are allowing Russia to continue the aggression against Ukraine, said Secretary Blinken. “We see that the security between the Indo-Pacific and the Euro-Atlantic community are joined.”
“The G7 is increasingly aligned on our view of economic and security risks posed by the People’s Republic of China, the policies it’s pursuing, even as we recognize the need for constructive engagement.”
“When we’re dealing with policies of concern by China, any of our countries acting alone compared to when we’re acting together simply cannot be as effective,” said Secretary Blinken. “The bottom line is this: We are much stronger, we’re much more effective, when we’re acting together, not alone.”
