The group of the seven most industrialized countries (G7) will coordinate aid to Ukraine over the winter, the head of German diplomacy announced on Thursday, accusing Russia of plotting to kill Ukrainians with hunger or cold.
“We will not allow the brutality of this war to lead to the mass deaths of the elderly and children, young people or families in the coming winter months,” Annalena Baerbock said at the opening of a G7 meeting, according to the French news agency. AFP.
Organizing support for Ukraine is at the top of the agenda at the two-day ministerial meeting in Münster (west), for the G7 to send a new message of determination to Russia, which invaded the neighboring country on February 24 this year.
Baerbock accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of “trying to starve, thirst or freeze to death the Ukrainians with his strategy of attacking their critical infrastructure”.
“This is exactly what we, the G7 partners, will try to avoid with all the means at our disposal,” Baerbock said, quoted by the Spanish news agency EFE.
He recalled that Russia has intensified attacks on Ukraine’s critical infrastructure, especially energy facilities, cutting off electricity and drinking water supplies.
He also referred to the supply by Germany and other Western allies of generators, stoves, water pumps, plumbing, prefabricated houses, blankets and tents to support the Ukrainian population.
Germany currently chairs the G7, which also includes Canada, the United States, France, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom.
Ukraine is the main topic of the meeting, but the situation in China and tensions with Taiwan are also discussed, as well as the situation in Iran.
Baerbock, who is more critical of Beijing than Chancellor Olaf Scholz, warned of the danger of “repeating the mistakes of the past” with China.
The Greens leader said the G7 countries are willing to view China as a competitor and rival, France’s AFP news agency said.
“Japan, as a G7 country, regularly emphasizes how important it is for us to recognize and see that China has changed in recent years, that it is not only a partner in international affairs, but also a competitor and even more of a rival,” he said. said.
“With this in mind, China will be on the agenda of the G7 meeting today,” the German minister added.
Scholz left for Beijing today, where he will meet President Xi Jinping.
He is the first leader of a European Union (EU) country to visit China since 2019.
Both the Greens and the Liberals, the two government partners of Scholz’s Social Democrats, have warned in recent days against establishing or expanding dependency relationships, especially with authoritarian regimes.
The G7 foreign ministers will also discuss the effectiveness of sanctions against Russia and are also expected to discuss future measures in this area.
Source: DN
