The Group of Seven (G7) leaders gathered on Tuesday to meet Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky via video link, to whom they vowed to stand with the nation and support it as long as it’s necessary, VOA reports.
The leaders of the seven wealthiest nations announced after the video conference that they remain committed to providing support for the war-torn country, and will continue their protection and encouragement for Ukraine’s fight for “sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
“We will hold President [Vladimir] Putin and those responsible to account,” the G-7 leaders stated, adding that Moscow’s “indiscriminate attacks on innocent civilian populations constitute a war crime.”
The G-7 underlined it would direct “serious repercussions” should Moscow use weapons of mass destruction, despite Putin’s continuous threats to use nuclear weapons, but did not indicate direct military intervention in Ukraine.
According to U.S. officials, there has been no change in the country’s nuclear position and there have been no signs that Putin has chosen to deploy nuclear weapons.
According to National Security Council’s John Kirby, the United States is not exploring the possibility of using tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine, which are smaller and less powerful than strategic nuclear weapons.
“There’s absolutely zero interest from our side and from our allies and partners to see this war escalate into the use of weapons of mass destruction at all,” the coordinator for strategic communications said.
According to the White House, President Joe Biden informed Zelenskyy earlier this week that the United States will support Ukraine with cutting-edge air defense equipment. At the sixth meeting of the group since its formation in April, which will take place in Brussels on Wednesday with chiefs of defense from over 50 countries, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is scheduled to address specifics.
Among the air defense systems under consideration are ones that can fend against so-called loitering bombs, which lurk around an area before attacking once a target is found.
As the country enters its eighth month since the Russian invasion, these technologies are essential to restoring a feeling of normality.
