by Crispian Balmer and Angelo Amante
CAPRI, ITALY (Reuters) – G7 powers are determined to strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses, their foreign ministers said on Friday, after Russian strikes destroyed power infrastructure and killed hundreds of people.
The G7 will “strengthen Ukraine’s air defense capabilities to save lives and protect critical infrastructure”, the foreign ministers said, adding that they would increase defense and security assistance to Kyiv.
Military aid to Ukraine has slowed in recent months, with European partners apparently running out of ammunition and vital U.S. funding blocked by Republicans in Congress.
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“We are determined to continue providing military, financial, political, humanitarian, economic and development support to Ukraine and its people,” the ministers added.
The G7 statement comes after a three-day meeting of ministers on the southern Italian island of Capri, during which Ukraine and Israel-Iran military clashes were among the main topics discussed.
After the summit, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Ukraine immediately needed additional resources and warned Beijing that China’s relations with Europe would be damaged if it provided support to the Russian defense industry.
Another key issue is whether to use the profits from the roughly $300 billion in Russian sovereign assets held in the West to help Ukraine, as EU member states waver over the legality of such Steps.
G7 foreign ministers said they were continuing to explore ways to use frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine.
(Reporting Crispian Balmer and Angelo Amante, French version Alban Kacher, edited by Federica Mileo)
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