G7/G8
G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting
February 19, 2022
On February 19, during his visit to Germany, Mr. HAYASHI Yoshimasa, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, attended G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting. The meeting was attended by the Foreign Ministers of all G7 countries and the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security. Mr. Dmytro Kuleba, Foreign Minister of Ukraine also participated towards the end of the meeting and explained Ukraine’s views on the current situation on the ground. An overview of the meeting is as follows.
- The G7 Foreign Ministers shared grave concern over Russia's military buildup around Ukraine and concurred they would call on Russia to de-escalate tensions, including through the withdrawal of its military as announced. They also reiterated their commitment to seeking a peaceful and diplomatic solution and concurred that they would urge Russia to take up the offer of dialogue from the United States, NATO, the OSCE, and others. Furthermore, they affirmed that any aggression against Ukraine will have enormous cost including sanctions on Russia. They also reaffirmed their support to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, confirmed the utmost importance to help preserve the economic and financial stability of Ukraine, and reconfirmed their support to Ukraine’s efforts to strengthen its democracy.
- Minister Hayashi stated that the current situation in Ukraine is directly related to the fundamental principle of the international community that does not accept any unilateral change of the status quo by force, and that it goes beyond a European security issue. He also stated that Japan is consistent in its support to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity and Prime Minister Kishida himself directly urged President Putin to pursue a solution through diplomatic negotiations. In addition, the Foreign Minister stated that he will continue working closely with the international community, including the G7.
- Statement by the G7 Foreign Ministers on Russia and Ukraine (English (PDF)
/Japanese (PDF) ）