Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven countries on Saturday urged Russia to de-escalate tensions along the border with Ukraine warning of “massive consequences” …
Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven countries on Saturday urged Russia to de-escalate tensions along the border with Ukraine warning of “massive consequences” from sanctions in the event of “further military aggression.” The group said they remain “gravely concerned about Russia’s threatening build-up around Ukraine,” and said they have seen “no evidence” of a troop drawdown despite the Kremlin’s assurances. “Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified massing of military forces, the largest deployment on the European continent since the end of the Cold War is a challenge to global security and the international order,” the foreign ministers said. The group welcomed Russia’s willingness to engage diplomatically but said they are prepared to impose severe sanctions should the Kremlin further escalate militarily. “While we are ready to explore diplomatic solutions to address legitimate security concerns, Russia should be in no doubt that any further military aggression against Ukraine will have massive consequences, including financial and economic sanctions on a wide array of sectoral and individual targets that would impose severe and unprecedented costs on the Russian economy,” the group wrote.
