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G7 leaders need to stick to Ukraine plan

ASSEMBLING in the Bavarian Alps of south-west Germany, there appeared to be great unity among G7 leaders for ramping up military support for Ukraine and sanctions on Russia. This was particularly the case between Boris Johnson and French president Emmanuel Macron, where a détente seemed to break out following months, if not years, of tensions over Brexit, Aukus and Channel crossings.

Discussions among the leaders included a cap on the price of Russian oil and steps to bar the import of Russian gold in order to “starve the Putin regime of its funding”, as Johnson put it. Moscow already stands accused of missing payments on some foreign debt, which amounts effectively to a default, as Western sanctions have prevented payments in foreign currency as billions of dollars of assets lie frozen abroad.

Yet the slow, bloody, relentless progress made by Russian forces in the Donbas demonstrates the need to ramp up sanctions — and the urgency as well. A missile strike on an apartment block in Kyiv on Saturday was a reminder not only of Vladimir Putin’s disregard for human life, but his continued ability to threaten the Ukrainian capital. That is why any peace agreement with Russia should be on Ukraine’s terms, lest it serves to reward Putin for his acts of aggression.

Leaders are invited into the G7 club not only for the industrial might of their respective economies, but because they head liberal democracies where power ultimately lies not with dictators or plutocrats but with the people. They must stand firm with our Ukrainian allies.

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2022-06-27T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-06-27T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://eveningstandard.pressreader.com/article/281814287549458

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