what to remember from Volodymyr Zelensky’s demands to the G7

A particularly awaited intervention. Volodymyr Zelensky spoke by videoconference Monday, June 27, at the G7 summit meeting at Elmau Castle, in Bavaria (Germany). Faced with the leaders of Germany, Canada, the United States, France, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom, the Ukrainian president called for redoubled efforts to put an early end to the war that is ravaging his country and to further toughen their sanctions against Moscow. Franceinfo summarizes the main demands of Volodymyr Zelensky to the seven greatest powers in the world.

>> Follow in our live the latest information on the war in Ukraine

Strengthen sanctions against Moscow

The Ukrainian president has urged G7 members to toughen their sanctions against Moscow. “For us, a consistent position of the G7 countries on sanctions is important. They must be further strengthened”he wrote on his Telegram account to report on his intervention.

The leaders of the seven industrialized countries, who have ostensibly displayed their unity in the face of the Kremlin since the start of their exchanges on Sunday in the Bavarian Alps, responded to him with clear support: the G7 will continue to support Ukraine. “as long as it takes”, according to their joint statement. At the same time, the Heads of State and Government will continue “to increase the pressure on Putin”promised the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, host of the summit, notably through a new salvo of sanctions targeting the Russian economy.

To support their support, the West, led by the United States, wants to tighten the noose by targeting the Russian defense industry in particular, according to a senior White House official. The G7 will also “coordinate to use customs duties on Russian products to help Ukraine”, continued the same source. On the first day of their exchanges on Sunday, some of the G7 members had already announced an embargo on newly mined gold in Russia.

Limit Russian oil prices

Volodymyr Zelensky also asked the G7 to limit the price of oil exported by Moscow, in order to dry up the main source of fresh money for Russia. The G7 countries are considering a “mechanism to cap the price of Russian oil at the global level”, a senior White House official said on Monday. Such a mechanism, which therefore remains to be defined, would go through the “services” surrounding the export of Russian oil, said the source, who did not wish to be identified.

The United States and Canada, less dependent on Russian oil than Europe, have banned its import. The European Union, meanwhile, has introduced a gradual embargo as part of its 6th sanctions package adopted in early June.

End the war by the end of the year

Volodymyr Zelensky “had a very strong message saying that we had to do everything possible to try to end this war before the end of the year”, underlined sources within the G7 at the end of his intervention by videoconference from kyiv. The Ukrainian leader has set as a deadline the arrival of winter, which risks complicating the conditions of the fighting.

To this end, he insisted on the “need for full, complete, very operational support for Ukraine” in order to allow the “restoration of territorial integrity” from the country. In particular, he asked for more military equipment from “so that Ukraine can contain the Russian advance and push the Russians back beyond the February lines”.

Do not negotiate with Russia

For the Ukrainian president, the time for negotiation with Russia has not come and Ukraine must first consolidate its positions, reported the French presidency. “President Zelensky gave everyone an answer which was very clear, it is that today is not the time for negotiation, Ukraine will negotiate when it is in a position to do so, that is- that is to say when he will have reestablished a position of strength at the bottom”according to the Elysee.


source site-25