"Ukraine Is Fighting For Us," Blinken Says As G7 Ministers Pledge Support For Kyiv, Condemn Russian 'Escalation'

Top diplomats from the Group of Seven wealthy democracies on Tuesday strongly condemned Russia's latest escalation in Ukraine and pledged their 'steadfast support' for Kyiv to ensure its ability to fight and negotiate from a position of strength in 2025, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.

"The reason so many countries are involved in Ukraine’s defense is because the aggression being committed by Russia is not only an aggression against Ukraine and its people," explained U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, adding, "it’s an aggression against the very principles that are at the heart of the international system and that are necessary for trying to maintain peace and stability, the notions that are at the heart of the United Nations Charter: sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity."

"The reality is this: Ukraine is fighting for us. It’s not just fighting for itself; it’s fighting for us," Blinken stressed in his final G7 press conference wrapping a two-day summit Tuesday afternoon in the historic town of Fiuggi, southeast of Rome, where the top diplomats had gathered for the final time before a new U.S. administration takes office, TURAN's correspondent who is currently traveling with the Secretary of State in Italy and Vatican, reports.

While the G7 — Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the U.S. — has been at the forefront of providing military and economic support for Ukraine since February 2022, some members are particularly concerned about how incoming U.S. President Donald Trump will change the U.S. approach.

Blinken, too, believes that support for Ukraine is critical: "Standing with, standing for Ukraine is, I believe, an important national interest," he said, explaining "that national interest is in making sure that we don’t have a world of conflict, that we uphold international law, we uphold the system that is our best way of guaranteeing that there won’t be war and that we can maintain peace and stability."

In their final statement, the top diplomats added that they hoped to start distributing funds from a $50 billion loan package stemming from frozen Russian assets by the end of the year. They also pledged to act against groups helping Russia to evade sanctions imposed on it after its invasion of Ukraine.

The top diplomats also discussed North Korean support for Russia which, they believe, marked a dangerous expansion of the conflict, with serious consequences for European and Indo-Pacific security. The ministers called on China, a long-standing ally of North Korea, to act against it.

Wrapping up with Italy trip, Blinken today is headed to Vatican City, where he’ll meet with the Pontiff, as well as the top Vatican diplomat and other officials to discuss peace in Ukraine, the Middle East, among other topics.