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G7 PROMISES TO HOLD RUSSIAN PREZ PUTIN ACCOUNTABLE FOR WAR

Leaders of the G7 countries on Friday said that they will spare no efforts to hold Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Lukashenko regime in Belarus, accountable for their aggression in Ukraine. “We will spare no efforts to hold President Putin and the architects and supporters of this aggression, including the Lukashenko regime in Belarus, […]

Leaders of the G7 countries on Friday said that they will spare no efforts to hold Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Lukashenko regime in Belarus, accountable for their aggression in Ukraine.

“We will spare no efforts to hold President Putin and the architects and supporters of this aggression, including the Lukashenko regime in Belarus, accountable for their actions. To this end, we will continue to work together, along with our allies and partners around the world,” the joint statement by the G7 leaders said.

The joint statement came following a meeting of the G7 leaders in Brussels which comes at a time when civilian casualties in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine are rapidly rising.

The G7 or the Group of Seven is an inter-governmental political forum consisting of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Calling the Russian invasion unjustifiable, unprovoked and illegal, the leaders said that the Russian leadership is obligated to immediately comply with the order of the International Court of Justice to suspend the military operations that it commenced on 24 February 2022 in the territory of Ukraine, without any further delay.

The joint statement also resolved to impose severe consequences on Russia including by fully implementing the economic and financial measures that have already been imposed, while also addressing the Russian people saying, “the people of Russia must know that we hold no grievances against them. It is President Putin, his government and supporters, including the Lukashenko regime in Belarus, who are imposing this war and its consequences on Russians and it is their decision that besmirches the history of the Russian people.”

The statement further said that the Russian attacks near the nuclear sites have put the Ukrainian populations under “extreme risk” with the potential for “catastrophic results”.

“We warn against any threat of the use of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons or related materials. We recall Russia’s obligations under the international treaties to which it is a signatory, and which protect us all. In this regard, we categorically denounce Russia’s malicious and completely unfounded disinformation campaign against Ukraine, a state in full compliance with international non-proliferation agreements,” the statement said.

The statement also extended thanks to all those who are providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine, asking others to join as well, while it commended the neighbouring countries of Ukraine “for their solidarity and humanity in welcoming Ukrainian refugees and third-country nationals from Ukraine.”

Leaders of European countries reaffirmed their readiness to introduce new sanctions against Russia and Belarus, the European Council said in its statement.

“The European Union has so far adopted significant sanctions that are having a massive impact on Russia and Belarus and remains ready to close loopholes and target actual and possible circumvention as well as to move quickly with further coordinated robust sanctions on Russia and Belarus to effectively thwart Russian abilities to continue the aggression,” read the European Council statement. According to the statement, the European Council calls on all countries to align with those sanctions. “Any attempts to circumvent sanctions or to aid Russia by other means must be stopped,” the statement added.

The Russian military aggression against Ukraine has forced millions of people to flee their homes, the statement said, adding Many of them have found shelter and safety in the European Union, facilitated by the temporary protection mechanism.

Particular attention should be paid to the needs of the most vulnerable and measures to prevent and detect human trafficking, the statement said.

The Council also called on other countries “to align with those sanctions” and to prevent “any attempts to circumvent sanctions or to aid Russia by other means.”

Sub-head: India abstains from voting on Ukraine resolution in UNGA

In New York, India abstained from voting on the draft resolution by Ukraine and its allies on the humanitarian crisis in the war-torn country arguing that the draft resolution didn’t fully reflect India’s expected focus and the need of hour is to focus on cessation of hostilities.

Speaking on the resolution, TS Tirumurti, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations on Thursday (local time) said that the humanitarian situation continues to worsen, particularly in the conflict zones in urban centres and reiterated India’s call for an immediate ceasefire. “India abstained on the resolution since what we require now is to focus on cessation of hostilities and on urgent humanitarian assistance. The draft resolution did not fully reflect our expected focus on these challenges.”

The UN General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a resolution on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine on Thursday, with 140 countries voting in favour and five against it. A total of 38 countries including India abstained. Meanwhile, Russia, Belarus, Eritrea, North Korea and Syria voted against it.

The resolution titled “Humanitarian consequences of the aggression against Ukraine” calls out Russia’s “assault” on Ukraine for creating the “dire” humanitarian situation.

In a nine-pointer statement, Ambassador Tirumurti urged the global leaders to enhance the humanitarian support to Kyiv and address the needs of the concerned population.

“We support the initiatives of UN, and its agencies. We hope the international community will continue to respond positively to the humanitarian needs of the people of Ukraine, including through extending generous support to the Secretary General’s Flash Appeal and the Regional Refugee Response Plan on Ukraine,” Tirumurti added.

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