G7 vows renewed support for Kyiv

As Germany prepares to send a €2.7 billion arms package to Ukraine, the G7 has vowed today, May 13, to up their support in a bid to end the war. 

The G7 group, containing 7 of the most economically advanced nations in the world, vowed on Saturday in Niigata, Japan, its continued support for Ukraine and for sanctions against Russia.

There was no mention of China, who have tried their best to remain neutral and propose peaceful solutions, while not directly criticising Moscow for its aggression against Ukraine.

The summit has seen bank chiefs and ministers of finance vow to help countries suffering from debt, high inflation and on a more individual level, the swollen cost of living. Further to this, they hope to build more diverse supply chains that offer greater stability.

And stability they believe requires an end to the war in Ukraine, with aid to the war-torn nation expected to increase to $44 billion moving into 2024.

It could be construed though that more military aid may not be the solution to ending a war, as Sky News reported yesterday on Twitter: “The UK has been threatened with a military response by Russia after pledging to send long-range missiles to Ukraine.

The UK has been threatened with a "military response" by Russia after pledging to send long-range missiles to Ukraine https://t.co/3cVvVhbXFN

— Sky News (@SkyNews) May 12, 2023

As more opposition mounts to Russia, there will undoubtedly come such threats of retaliation. Further to this, China, which hasn’t presented a firm position on where it stands, has been known to be an ally to Russia and may choose yet to supply them with reinforcements.

With the risk of these escalations and the US’s moves to oppose China’s territorial claims to Taiwan and Filipino islands the Spratlys, there is a difficult balance to strike between ending a war or exacerbating it.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida says that the G7: “resolutely reject the threat or use of nuclear weapons and uphold the international order based on the rule of law. As G7 chairman, I will convey my strong will to have an impact on history,” as reported in the Independent.