| Advertisement |
Feb. 24 (UPI) -- Leaders of the Group of Seven nations joined Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for a special virtual meeting to mark the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Friday. The leaders issued a joint statement in which they sought to reaffirm their "unwavering support for Ukraine for as long as it takes."
Advertisement
"At the one-year mark of Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine, we, the Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7), met with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky to reaffirm our unwavering support for Ukraine for as long as it takes," they wrote.
"Russia started this war and Russia can end this war. We call on Russia to stop its ongoing aggression and to immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw its troops from the entire internationally recognized territory of Ukraine."
The nations said they would continue coordinating efforts to serve Ukraine's "defense equipment needs, with an immediate focus on air defense systems and capabilities, as well as necessary munitions and tanks."
Ahead of the meeting on Friday, the United States announced $2 billion in defense funds and equipment for Ukraine including additional weapons systems, communications and counter-detection equipment, artillery and ammunitions, laser-guided rocket munitions and several other capabilities that will help Ukraine continue to hold ground in the war.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said ahead of the meeting that he would urge the world leaders Friday to give Ukraine's military a "decisive advantage" against invading Russian forces by providing longer-range weapons.
The prime minister raised the possibility of supplying the longer-range weapons with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenksy during his visit to Britain earlier this month.
Sunak also reiterated his offer of British support to countries able to provide fighter jets to Ukraine to help in the immediate conflict.
Under the proposal countries with Soviet-made jets -- such as MIGs that Ukraine's pilots can put to immediate use -- would send them to Ukraine as soon as possible with countries such as Britain supplying its advanced fighter aircraft to "backfill" the holes left in donor countries' defenses.
The meeting was the first summit that Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida led as the G7 chair for 2023.
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said in a press conference that Japan will "maintain severe sanctions against Russia and continue supporting Ukraine while working closely with the international community, including the G7."
