G7 calls on China to pressure Russia to end Ukraine war

Leaders at the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Hiroshima, Japan are urging China to pressure Russia to end Moscow’s war on Ukraine. 

“We call on China to press Russia to stop its military aggression, and immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw its troops from Ukraine,” the leaders wrote in a joint statement over the weekend.

Japan hosted the leaders of fellow G7 members including the U.S., the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Canada for this year’s conference. Leaders from a handful of other countries — including Australia, India and South Korea — were also invited to the summit, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made an in-person visit after initial plans that he’d join virtually.

“We encourage China to support a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on territorial integrity and the principles and purposes of the UN Charter, including through its direct dialogue with Ukraine,” the G7 leaders said in their communiqué.

Beijing and Moscow have become closer partners as Russia wages its invasion of Ukraine and as U.S.-China tensions have heightened in recent years. Earlier this year, U.S. officials raised concerns that China could move to give Russia lethal aid during the war.

The G7 statement this weekend also affirmed the leaders “support Ukraine for as long as it takes in the face of Russia’s illegal war of aggression” and condemn Moscow’s war as “a threat to the whole world in breach of fundamental norms, rules and principles of the international community.”

The leaders said they “stand prepared to build constructive and stable relations with China” because of Beijing’s “role in the international community and the size of its economy, on global challenges as well as areas of common interest.”

“Our policy approaches are not designed to harm China nor do we seek to thwart China’s economic progress and development. A growing China that plays by international rules would be of global interest. We are not decoupling or turning inwards. At the same time, we recognize that economic resilience requires de-risking and diversifying.”