Senior ministers at the Liverpool G7 meeting, attended in person by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his counterparts from the UK, France, Italy, Germany, Japan and Canada, sought to present a united front against Russian aggression toward Ukraine, Reuters reports.
The meeting comes amid international concern that Russia could invade Ukraine. Russia denies planning any attack.
British foreign minister Liz Truss met Blinken on Friday night where they expressed deep concern about the build-up of Russian troops on Ukraine’s border, Britain’s foreign office said in a statement that any incursion by Russia “would be a strategic mistake for which there would be serious consequences.”
“We need to defend ourselves against the growing threats from hostile actors and we need to come together strongly to stand up to aggressors who are seeking to limit the bounds of freedom and democracy,” Truss told foreign ministers at the start of the meeting.
“To do this, we need to have a stronger united voice”
Russia is accused of massing tens of thousands of troops in preparation for a possible large-scale military offensive.
Russia meanwhile accuses Ukraine and the United States of destabilising behaviour, and has said it needs security guarantees for its own protection.
The G7 meeting is also expected to result in a joint call for Iran to moderate its nuclear programme and grasp the opportunity of ongoing talks in Vienna to revive a multilateral agreement on its nuclear development.
Both Truss and Blinken stressed the need for Iran to engage in the talks, according to the foreign office statement.
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