Map Ukraine Donbass Conflict
Source: Wikimedia
JOINT-STATEMENT BY G7 FOREIGN MINISTERS ON THE SITUATION IN UKRAINE MARCH 18 « We, the Foreign Ministers of Germany, Canada, the United States of America, France, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom, as well as the High Representative of the European Union, unanimously condemn Russia's continued actions aimed at undermining the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Ukraine. Today, seven years after Russia's illegitimate and illegal annexation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, we reaffirm our unwavering support and commitment to independence, sovereignty and integrity. territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders.
The Charter of the United Nations, the Helsinki Final Act and the Charter of Paris clearly set out the fundamental principles concerning respect for the territorial integrity of States whatever they may be and the prohibition of the use of force for change borders. By using force against the territorial integrity of Ukraine, Russia openly violated international law and violated these principles.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We unequivocally denounce the temporary occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol by Russia. We do not and will not recognize Russia's attempts to legitimize this occupation. We condemn the human rights violations committed by Russia on the peninsula, in particular against the Crimean Tatars. We call on Russia to respect its international obligations, to allow access to international observers and to immediately release all those unjustly detained. We welcome, in principle, the Ukrainian initiative to establish an international platform on Crimea in order to consolidate the efforts of the international community in this regard.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In addition, we firmly oppose the continued destabilization of Ukraine by Russia, and in particular the actions that the latter is taking in certain areas of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, in defiance of the commitments it has made. within the framework of the Minsk agreements. The advent of peace requires the full implementation of the Minsk agreements. Russia is a party to the conflict in eastern Ukraine, and not a mediator in this conflict.--------------------------------------------------------
We welcome the re-engagement of the ceasefire implemented on July 27, which significantly reduced violence in the conflict zone. However, the conflict continues to claim victims and cause serious damage to critical infrastructure. We deplore the recent military escalation on the line of contact by armed groups backed by Russia. We call on the Russian Federation to stop fueling the conflict by providing military and financial support to the armed groups it supports in eastern Ukraine and granting Russian citizenship to hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian citizens, and instead do so in sort of taking steps similar to those taken recently by Ukraine to improve the lives of people on both sides of the contact line. We reaffirm the importance of respecting the ceasefire, which is a fundamental factor in any progress towards a peaceful settlement of the conflict.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We welcome the tireless efforts of Germany and France within the framework of the Normandy Format to resolve the conflict through diplomatic channels, and we reaffirm that we are ready to continue to support these efforts. We call on all parties to fully implement the Minsk Agreements and stress Russia's responsibility to engage constructively in the Normandy Format and the Trilateral Contact Group in order to achieve a just and political solution. lasting to conflict. The G7 remains fully committed to the implementation of the sanctions and will stand by Ukraine's side to defend its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders. Crimea is Ukraine. » Source: French Minister of Foreign Affairs, G7 Bureau
