Ukraine was a major discussion subject at two-day summit of the G7, which was held in the German castle Elmau on June 7-8. The leaders of the Group of Seven agreed on a joint stance on the anti-Russian sanctions, and sent a clear message to Russia that they stood united in their support for Ukrainians.
The importance of this message was emphasized by the fact that Ukraine was discussed on the first day of the summit, that is, June 7. Meanwhile, the G7 agenda on June 8 included countering global warming, the threat of international terrorism, energy policy and development assistance, promoting involvement of women in public life and the fight against epidemics.
However, as remarked in The Times (UK), despite the fact that the leaders of major world powers had more than enough major issues to discuss, “Putin’s grim shape cast a shadow on everything that happened at the summit.”
The leaders of the Group of Seven talked about the need for continued sanctions against Russia. In particular, it was clearly stated on the eve of the summit by Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper, who made his third visit to Kyiv before the meeting. “Until peace returns [to Ukraine. – Ed.], occupying troops are withdrawn from its territory, and Ukraine regains its territorial integrity, the Putin regime will feel the consequences of their actions,” the Canadian prime minister remarked.
In turn, Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe, who visited Ukraine for the first time on June 5-6 on his way to the summit, said that “Russia must respect the ceasefire.” However, according to Abe, “it is important to continue the dialog with Russia, while maintaining an atmosphere of pressure.”
The importance of continued sanctions was emphasized before the summit by leader of the Greens faction in the European Parliament Rebecca Harms. “I am convinced that the sanctions should be maintained as long as the Minsk Accords are being broken. The situation is deteriorating, and very seriously at that. We have seen too many victims, especially among civilians, since the signing of the Minsk Accords. I think we should impose sanctions depending on Russia’s compliance with the Minsk Accords,” Harms stated.
In his speech, President of the European Council Donald Tusk said that the G7 was primarily a “community of values.” “And this is why Russia is not among us here today and will not be invited as long as it behaves aggressively toward Ukraine and other countries... Given the current situation, let me make it clear that if anyone wants to start a debate about changing the sanctions regime, the discussion could only be about strengthening them,” Tusk declared. He also called on the leaders of the G7 to expand sanctions against Russia “in the coming days” because of the continuing fighting in the Donbas.
“If someone wants to bring discord to our common stance, they will end only strengthening our unity,” Tusk added. Meanwhile, the European Council’s president noted that “we are not talking about radicalization.” He also said that the continuation of the EU sanctions against Russia will be discussed at the next summit of EU leaders, to be held on June 25-26.
US President Barack Obama signaled before the summit his support for maintaining economic pressure on Russia. In a joint statement with Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel, Obama said that the sanctions should not be lifted until the Minsk Accords had been fully carried out and the Kremlin respected Ukraine’s sovereignty.
However, it was rather strange against this background to hear the statement by the White House spokesman Josh Earnest, who said that the US administration’s position on providing arms to Ukraine had not changed. “Providing additional military capabilities to Ukraine, in the mind of the president, would only further escalate a situation that must be resolved diplomatically,” Earnest told reporters at the summit of the G7. Meanwhile, many experts emphasize that ruling out the military option is what has allowed Putin to do what he wants, to annex the territory of another country, and to continue his aggression in eastern Ukraine.
In turn, Merkel noted that Russia violated European values when it annexed Crimea and intervened in the conflict in eastern Ukraine. “And that is why, from our current point of view, Russia’s return is unrealistic,” Merkel was quoted as saying by the AFP. The German chancellor added also that “there is a barrier at the moment and I cannot really see how it can be overcome,” referring to the barrier that prevents the Kremlin’s return to the Group of Seven.
As recalled by Deutsche Welle, Russian President Putin was not invited to the summit of leading industrialized countries for the second year in a row due to Russia’s annexation of Crimea and its role in the conflict in eastern Ukraine. Merkel added that the G7 was still seeing Russia as a partner in negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program, the war in Syria or the Normandy format talks on the conflict in Ukraine. However, Merkel said after the summit, nevertheless, that the anti-Russian sanctions would be strengthened if necessary. “However, we want to do everything possible to promote a political solution to the conflict, which was agreed to in Minsk,” the German chancellor remarked.
Prime Minister of the UK David Cameron expressed the hope that the position of Europe on the anti-Russian sanctions would remain unchanged, despite the fact that they “affect us all.” “But Britain has not let our pre-eminence in financial services get in the way of taking a robust response to Russian-backed aggression and I do not think other countries should either,” Cameron stressed.
Roland FREUDENSTEIN, deputy director of the Martens Center (Brussels):
“The EU currently lacks a consensus on tougher sanctions against Russia. However, the fact that the separatists have still not attacked Mariupol provides a proof that the sanctions work. It is important that the EU keeps pressure on Russia and unanimously supports the extension of the sanctions. However, it concerns the preservation of existing restrictions rather than strengthening them. Still, Putin knows that should the separatists go on the offensive and capture new territory, the sanctions will be strengthened. It works as a deterrent of sorts.”
Volodymyr HORBACH, political analyst at the Institute for Euro-Atlantic Cooperation:
“Putin should now worry about his physical survival rather than presence in some format or another. Tusk or Cameron’s statements will have no effect on Russia. It is not going to comply with the Minsk Accords. One need not wait until the end of the year to see that, for the Kremlin is already withdrawing from them and creating a new strategic situation.”
John HERBST, former US ambassador (2003-06) to Ukraine, member of Atlantic Council:
“It is good that the White House issued a statement after the President met with Chancellor Merkel that sanctions should remain on Russia until the full implementation of the Minsk accords, including the restoration of full Ukrainian sovereignty.
“The Obama Administration has played an important leadership role in the imposition of sanctions on Russia; but it has been unwilling to provide Ukraine the military equipment it needs – including counter battery radar for missiles and anti tank weapons – needed to reduce Ukrainian casualties and to help Ukraine stop further Kremlin aggression. At the same time, Congress is becoming more concerned about the Administration’s failure to do this. There is a very good chance Congress will pass legislation this year authorizing the supply of lethal defensive weapons to Ukraine and appropriating money for the weapons.
“I do not know the reason for Ms. Tagliavini’s resignation; but it adds to the impression that Minsk 2 is in tatters. Moscow has violated Minsk 2 from its start, February 15, with the offensive that took Debaltseve a few days later. Since then there have been daily violations of the ceasefire by Moscow and its surrogates in the Donbas. Over the past week or so, the Kremlin has greatly increased the violence as it seeks to take Mariinka.”
