The White House on Sunday night issued a statement on behalf of G-7 leaders that condemns Russia’s “clear violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.”
The countries — Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the United States — handily criticized Russia in the announcement, noting the country’s actions in Ukraine “contravene the principles and vales on which the G-7 and the G-8 operation.”
Here's the full statement:
We, the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States and the President of the European Council and President of the European Commission, join together today to condemn the Russian Federation’s clear violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, in contravention of Russia’s obligations under the UN Charter and its 1997 basing agreement with Ukraine. We call on Russia to address any ongoing security or human rights concerns that it has with Ukraine through direct negotiations, and/or via international observation or mediation under the auspices of the UN or the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. We stand ready to assist with these efforts.
We also call on all parties concerned to behave with the greatest extent of self-restraint and responsibility, and to decrease the tensions.
We note that Russia’s actions in Ukraine also contravene the principles and values on which the G-7 and the G-8 operate. As such, we have decided for the time being to suspend our participation in activities associated with the preparation of the scheduled G-8 Summit in Sochi in June, until the environment comes back where the G-8 is able to have meaningful discussion.
We are united in supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and its right to choose its own future. We commit ourselves to support Ukraine in its efforts to restore unity, stability, and political and economic health to the country. To that end, we will support Ukraine’s work with the International Monetary Fund to negotiate a new program and to implement needed reforms. IMF support will be critical in unlocking additional assistance from the World Bank, other international financial institutions, the EU, and bilateral sources.
The scathing letter comes just days after Russian president Vladimir Putin asked — and promptly received — for permission from his country’s parliament to take military action in Ukraine.
The Group of Eight (G8) originated in 1975 with a summit of six countries, then became the G7 when Canada joined. When Russia joined in 1998, it became the G8. Lawmakers have been calling for Russia’s suspension from the forum ever since Russian troops reportedly moved into the Crimean peninsula over the weekend. U.S. secretary of state John Kerry warned Russia could be expelled and face economic sanctions on Saturday due to his country’s “incredible act of aggression,” The Guardian reports.
“He is not going to have a Sochi G8, he may not even remain in the G8 if this continues,” Sec. Kerry told NBC’s Meet the Press. “He may find himself with asset freezes, on Russian business, American business may pull back, there may be a further tumble of the ruble.”