Blinken and G7 United on Ukraine

Blinken and G7 United on Ukraine

Since February, nations of the G7 have led a coalition of allies and partners in providing military support to Ukraine as they defend their nation against Russia’s invasion, declared Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

“We’ve imposed unprecedented sanctions and export controls that have directly impacted the Russian military’s ability to wage war. These efforts, coordinated in large part through the G7, have strengthened Ukraine’s battlefield capabilities and weakened Russia’s. They’re also a key reason that Ukraine has momentum in this war.”

The G7 is also working to impose sanctions on those supporting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war. That includes Iran, whose combat drones are killing Ukrainian civilians and destroying civilian infrastructure, and whose military personnel in Crimea are assisting Russia in carrying out these brutal attacks.

The G7 is providing economic and humanitarian support to Ukraine as Russia has damaged some 40 percent of Ukraine’s critical energy infrastructure, including its electricity grid which is central to maintaining heat this winter. “President Putin seems to have decided that if he can’t seize Ukraine by force, he will try to freeze it into submission,” said Secretary Blinken. The G7 has agreed to create a new coordination group to help repair, restore, and defend Ukraine’s energy grid.

Each G7 country is making sacrifices to sustain this critical support, noted Secretary Blinken. On energy, for example, the United States has exported 60 billion cubic meters of liquified natural gas to Europe. “That’s nearly two and a half times what we exported in 2021 and will provide our friends with a vital reserve as they head into the winter.”

The world’s leading democracies continue to work together to support and defend Ukraine as it fights off Russia aggression.