Office of the Spokesperson
March 14,
2025
Ukraine’s long-term prosperity and
security
G7 members reaffirmed their unwavering
support for Ukraine in defending its territorial integrity
and right to exist, and its freedom, sovereignty and
independence.
They welcomed ongoing efforts to achieve
a ceasefire, and in particular the meeting on March 11
between the U.S. and Ukraine in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
G7 members applauded Ukraine’s commitment to an immediate
ceasefire, which is an essential step towards a
comprehensive, just and lasting peace in line with the
Charter of the United Nations.
G7 members called for
Russia to reciprocate by agreeing to a ceasefire on equal
terms and implementing it fully. They discussed imposing
further costs on Russia in case such a ceasefire is not
agreed, including through further sanctions, caps on oil
prices, as well as additional support for Ukraine, and other
means. This includes the use of extraordinary revenues
stemming from immobilized Russian Sovereign Assets. G7
members underlined the importance of confidence-building
measures under a ceasefire including the release of
prisoners of war and detainees—both military and
civilian—and the return of Ukrainian children.
They
emphasized that any ceasefire must be respected and
underscored the need for robust and credible security
arrangements to ensure that Ukraine can deter and defend
against any renewed acts of aggression. They stated that
they will continue to coordinate economic and humanitarian
support to promote the early recovery and reconstruction of
Ukraine, including at the Ukraine Recovery Conference which
will take place in Rome on July 10-11, 2025.
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G7
members condemned the provision to Russia of military
assistance by DPRK and Iran, and the provision of weapons
and dual-use components by China, a decisive enabler of
Russia’s war and of the reconstitution of Russia’s armed
forces. They reiterated their intention to continue to take
action against such third countries.
They expressed
alarm about the impacts of the war, especially on civilians
and on civilian infrastructure. They discussed the
importance of accountability and reaffirmed their commitment
to work together to achieve a durable peace and to ensure
that Ukraine remains democratic, free, strong and
prosperous.
Regional peace and stability in the
Middle East
G7 members called for the release of
all hostages and for the remains held by Hamas in Gaza to be
returned to their loved ones. They reaffirmed their support
for the resumption of unhindered humanitarian aid into Gaza
and for a permanent ceasefire. They underscored the
imperative of a political horizon for the Palestinian
people, achieved through a negotiated solution to the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict that meets the legitimate needs
and aspirations of both peoples and advances comprehensive
Middle East peace, stability and prosperity. They noted
serious concern over the growing tensions and hostilities in
the West Bank and calls for de-escalation.
They
recognized Israel’s inherent right to defend
itselfconsistent with international law. They
unequivocally condemned Hamas, including for its brutal and
unjustified terror attacks on October 7, 2023, and the harm
inflicted on the hostages during their captivity and the
violation of their dignity through the use of ‘handover
ceremonies’ during their release. They reiterated that
Hamas can have no role in Gaza’s future and must never
again be a threat to Israel.They affirmed their readiness
to engage with Arab partners on their proposals to chart a
way forward on reconstruction in Gaza and build a lasting
Israeli-Palestinian peace.
G7 members expressed their
support for the people of Syria and Lebanon, as both
countries work towards peaceful and stable political
futures. At this critical juncture, they reiterated the
importance of Syria and Lebanon sovereignty and territorial
integrity. They called unequivocally for the rejection of
terrorism in Syria. They condemned strongly the recent
escalation of violence in the coastal regions of Syria, and
called for the protection of civilians and for perpetrators
of atrocities to be held accountable. They stressed the
critical importance of an inclusive and Syrian-led political
process.They welcomed the commitment by the Syrian
interim government to work with the OPCW in eliminating all
remaining chemical weapons.
They stressed that Iran is
the principal source of regional instability and must never
be allowed to develop and acquire a nuclear weapon. They
emphasized that Iran must now change course, de-escalate and
choose diplomacy. They underscored the threat of Iran’s
growing use of arbitrary detention and foreign assassination
attempts as a tool of coercion.
Cooperation to
increase security and resilience across the
Indo-Pacific
G7 members reiterated their
commitment to upholding a free, open, prosperous and secure
Indo-Pacific, based on sovereignty, territorial integrity,
peaceful resolution of disputes, fundamental freedoms and
human rights.
They remain seriously concerned by the
situations in the East China Sea as well as the South China
Sea and continue to oppose strongly unilateral attempts to
change the status quo, in particular by force and coercion.
They expressed concern over the increasing use of dangerous
maneuvers and water cannons against Philippine and
Vietnamese vessels as well as efforts to restrict freedom of
navigation and overflight through militarization and
coercion in the South China Sea, in violation of
international law. G7 members emphasized the importance of
maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
They encouraged the peaceful resolution of cross-strait
issues and reiterated their opposition to any unilateral
attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion. They
also expressed support for Taiwan’s meaningful
participation in appropriate international
organizations.
They remain concerned with China’s
military build-up and the continued, rapid increase in
China’s nuclear weapons arsenal. They called on China to
engage in strategic risk reduction discussions and promote
stability through transparency.
G7 members emphasized
that China should not conduct or condone activities aimed at
undermining the security and safety of our communities and
the integrity of our democratic institutions.
They
expressed concerns about China’s non-market policies and
practices that are leading to harmful overcapacity and
market distortions. G7 members further called on China to
refrain from adopting export control measures that could
lead to significant supply chain disruptions. They
reiterated that they are not trying to harm China or thwart
its economic growth, indeed a growing China that plays by
international rules and norms would be of global
interest.
G7 members demanded that the DPRK abandon
all its nuclear weapons and any other weapons of mass
destruction as well as ballistic missile programs in
accordance with all relevant United Nations Security Council
resolutions. They expressed their serious concerns over and
the need to address together the DPRK’s cryptocurrency
thefts. They called on DPRK to resolve the abductions issue
immediately.
They denounced the brutal repression of
the people of Myanmar by the military regime and called for
an end to all violence and for unhindered humanitarian
access.
Building stability and resilience in Haiti
and Venezuela
G7 members strongly denounced the
ongoing horrifying violence that continues to be perpetrated
by gangs in Haiti in their efforts to seize control of the
government. They reaffirmed their commitment to helping the
Haitian people restore democracy, security and stability,
including through support to the Haitian National Police and
Kenya-led Multinational Security Support Mission and an
increased role for the UN. They expressed support for
Haitian authorities’ efforts to create a specialized
anti-corruption jurisdiction that complies with the highest
international standards.
They reiterated their call
for the restoration of democracy in Venezuela in line with
the aspirations of the Venezuelan people who peacefully
voted on July 28, 2024, for change, the cessation of
repression and arbitrary or unjust detentions of peaceful
protestors including youth by Nicolas Maduro’s regime, as
well as the unconditional and immediate release of all
political prisoners. They also agreed Venezuelan naval
vessels threatening Guyana’s commercial vessels is
unacceptable and an infringement of Guyana’s
internationally recognized sovereign rights. They
reaffirmed respect for the sovereignty and territorial
integrity of all nations as an enduring
value.
Supporting lasting peace in Sudan and the
Democratic Republic of the Congo
G7 members
unequivocally denounced the ongoing fighting and atrocities
in Sudan, including sexual violence against women and girls,
which have led to the world’s largest humanitarian crisis
and the spread of famine. They called for the warring
parties to protect civilians, cease hostilities, and ensure
unhindered humanitarian access, and urged external actors to
end their support fueling the conflict.
They condemned
the Rwanda-backed M23 offensive in the eastern Democratic
Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the resulting violence,
displacement and grave human rights and international
humanitarian law violations. This offensive constitutes a
flagrant disregard of the territorial integrity of the DRC.
They reiterated their call for M23 and the Rwanda Defense
Force to withdraw from all controlled areas. They urged all
parties to support the mediation led by the East African
Community and the Southern African Development Community, to
promote accountability for human rights abuses by all armed
actors, including M23 and the FDLR, and to commit to a
peaceful and negotiated resolution of the conflict,
including the meaningful participation of women and
youth.
Strengthening sanctions and countering hybrid
warfare and sabotage
G7 members welcomed efforts to
strengthen the Sanctions Working Group focused on listings
and enforcement, and discussions on the establishment of a
Hybrid Warfare and Sabotage Working Group, and of a Latin
America Working
Group.
