The G7 ‘united’ for China, Russia, Iran

The two-day meeting of the Foreign Ministers is completed. of the G7 team in Liverpool. The situation on the Ukrainian border, but also Iran’s nuclear program in focus.

The key message was the unity of the seven most powerful democracies in the world in the face of any threat that seeks to undermine the principles of freedom and democracy. This is how the speech of the host of the Summit, Liz Traas, started, who even called on her counterparts “to join forces even more decisively”. The main issue was the situation on the border with Ukraine and the fact that Russia is constantly increasing the presence of troops in the region, with reports of up to 100,000 troops.

A top US official who took part in the talks clarified that “if Russia does not choose the diplomatic route to resolve the crisis, the G7 have already prepared a joint action plan, with sanctions that can be implemented immediately.” A few days before the G7 statements, the commander of the British armed forces, Admiral Sir John Radkin, had warned that a Russian invasion would be on such a large scale, “that Europe would not have seen it since World War II”. On Monday, Washington will send top European diplomat Karen Donfried to Ukraine and Russia for consultations.

“Last chance for Tehran too”

On the issue of Iran’s nuclear program, however, the G7 foreign ministers, in full agreement, announced “that this will be Tehran’s last chance” to rejoin the agreement to reduce nuclear production, which it abandoned in 2018. This will be stated and in the formal joint statement after the end of the session. The JCPOA agreement was signed in 2015, according to which Iran would gradually reduce its nuclear program and in return the West would ease the sanctions it had imposed on Tehran.

However, Donald Trump, in 2018, withdrew from this agreement, as a result of which Iran also withdrew. Security issues in the Indian and Pacific regions are also on the agenda, with the aim of limiting China’s interventionist role. In fact, for the first time in the history of the G7, representatives of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will also participate.

The meeting of the seven foreign ministers, although the second in just eight months, is a maiden appearance for both Britain’s Liz Tras, who replaced Dominic Raab, and Germany’s Annalena Berbogg, who has just taken over after forming a government. in Berlin. With this Summit, the British presidency in the G7 group closes and Germany takes the baton for 2022.

Zoe Katzagiannaki, London

Source: Deutsche Welle