“We have to unite strongly to confront the aggressors who try to limit the borders of freedom,” said Liz Truss, the British minister.
The G7 foreign ministers met on Saturday in Liverpool, northern England, to show unity in the face of global “aggressors” and to discuss Russia’s maneuvers on the Ukrainian border, which are of concern to the international community.
“We have to unite strongly to confront the aggressors who try to limit the borders of freedom and democracy“Said the head of British diplomacy, Liz Truss, whose country chairs the group of seven major economies this year, at the start of this two-day meeting.
“For this, we have to do it with a single voice”He added, urging reflection to “reduce strategic dependence” and strengthen the “security architecture” of the great powers on the democratic side against “authoritarian regimes.”
Although he did not name these adversaries, these statements are framed in the intentions of the United States to lead the G7 Towards a Western Strategy to Curb China’s Ambitions Globally. And also with another rival in the spotlight: Russia.
For weeks NATO, the United States and European leaders have accused Russia of wanting to invade Ukraine, something the Kremlin denies.
US diplomat in Kiev and Moscow
The US government announced on Saturday that it would send its deputy secretary of state in charge of Europe, Karen Donfried, to Ukraine and Russia from Monday to Wednesday. The objective of the visit, he explained, is to seek “Diplomatic progress to end the conflict in Dombás”, in eastern Ukraine, “applying the Minsk agreements”.
These agreements, concluded in 2015 to end the conflict that broke out a year earlier between Kiev and pro-Russian separatists in the east of the country, they never respected.
The Ukrainian issue was already addressed in the first bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the main meeting. Liz Truss spoke with the new German Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock, about the need for a “united front against Russian aggression.”
And Baerbock and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken agreed that “a firm response was necessary in the event of Moscow’s escalation,” according to Washington.
On Tuesday, US President Joe Biden spoke with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and warned him that Russia was risking “Strong sanctions, including economic ones” if he intensified his military action in Ukraine.
Despite the fact that tensions remain high, both leaders decided to commission their teams to follow-up meetings to see if a diplomatic de-escalation is possible.
Karen Donfried’s visit will therefore be a first step in this direction.
“Battle of technologies”
In addition to this military tension, the heads of the diplomacies of Germany, Canada, the United States, France, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom discuss the current crises in Burma and Ethiopia.
Regarding talks with Iran regarding its nuclear program, the G7 ministers are expected to ask Tehran to stop the escalation and return to the Vienna agreement.
For Liz Truss, the “united front” in the face of authoritarian regimes also needs to deepen economic relations between democratic countries.
“We must win the battle of technologies”, “Ensuring that our technological standards are set by those who believe in freedom and democracy”he insisted, in another allusion to Beijing.
This is the second in-person meeting of the G7 foreign ministers this year, following the one held in May in London.
Due to the health situation, with the spread of the omicron variant of the coronavirus, strict measures have been taken in the Liverpool museum where the meeting is being held. Delegates are required to submit a negative PCR test prior to arrival and to perform daily on-site checks.
Over the weekend, Truss will participate in bilateral meetings with his counterparts from the G7 and the European Union. Korea, Australia, South Africa and India, countries invited by the United Kingdom, will also participate virtually due to the pandemic.
On Sunday, the British minister will hold plenary sessions on global health security and the Indo-Pacific region.
Foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will join the G7 talks for the first time, a sign of the growing importance of this region, to which Blinken will travel next week, in US strategy. confrontation with China. (I)
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
