G7 meeting in Japan

G7-mötet i Japan

 

G7 meeting in Japan

The G7 leaders. AP The G7 countries agree on new sanctions against Russia  

 

The G7 leaders have agreed on tougher sanctions against Russia, they said in a joint statement according to CNN.  

 

The new sanctions apply to "exports of machinery, tools and other technology that Russia uses to rebuild its military power," according to the statement. 

 

"Our support for Ukraine will not waver," the leaders write.  

 

On Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will attend the G7 meeting, which is being held over the weekend in Hiroshima, Japan.  

 

Zelenskyi/G7 leaders in Japan. TT/AP  

 

Zelenskyy travels to Japan - participates in the G7 meeting 

 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will travel to Japan to attend the G7 summit in Hiroshima, which begins on Friday. Oleksiy Danilov, chairman of the National Security Council, told state-run Ukrainian television, according to Reuters. 

 

- Very important things will be decided there and therefore our president's presence is absolutely necessary to defend our interests. 

 

In recent weeks, Zelenskyi has made a series of trips to allied countries in Europe to ask for more support for the defense of the country. Among other things, he has met the Nordic Prime Ministers in Finland, the Pope in Italy, and the President of Germany.  

 

The G7 countries visit the memorial site in Hiroshima. AP  

 

Analysis: The threat from China and Russia in focus  

 

When the leaders of the G7 countries converge in Japan over the weekend, the threat from the authoritarian giants China and Russia is at the top of the agenda, writes Nectar Gan in an analysis for CNN.  

 

Agreeing on a common stance towards China will not be an easy task, she writes. 

 

"China, a global manufacturing hub and a huge consumer market, is an important trading partner for the G7 countries".  

 

As for Russia, the emphasis is on how the G7 countries can damage the country economically, and thereby militarily, writes Nick Marsh for the BBC. 

 

One possibility is to direct sanctions against "third countries" - for example, several Central Asian countries are accused of helping Russia escape sanctions. However, such measures can be complicated, according to Marsh. 

 

“What will happen to Indian companies that buy Russian oil or Chinese companies that trade with Russia? Should the G7 countries give in to them?”