G7 ministers agreed in Liverpool, England, to form a united front against Russian aggression targeting Ukraine. British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said countries should stand up for the “free world”.
Truss said a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine would be a “fatal tactical mistake” with “grave consequences”.
“We need to better protect ourselves against hostile forces and stand together stronger against aggression that transcends the boundaries of freedom and democracy,” Truss said at the start of the meeting. “This meeting is there to show the unity of like-minded economic powers.”
The G7 consists of Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The European Union also participates in the sessions, but it is not a country and therefore not an official member.
The situation in Ukraine is at the center of recent tensions between Russia and Western powers such as the United States and the European Union. Russia has deployed many military personnel near the border with Ukraine, which has led many countries to expect the Russians to invade the neighboring country. Russia denies this and says it can station its soldiers anywhere it wants in its country. Armed conflict between the government army and Russian-backed separatists has been going on in eastern Ukraine since 2014. Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimea in 2014.
