Foreign Secretary rallies allies to ‘constrain Putin’s aggression’ during NATO and G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meetings in Germany

F.P. Report

LONDON: Liz Truss attends the G7 and NATO Foreign Ministers’ Meetings in Germany to use both meetings to galvanise work with allies to win the battle for Ukraine.

The Foreign Secretary has called on international allies to go “further and faster” together to support the Ukrainian resistance and constrain any further aggression by the Putin war machine.

At a meeting of G7 Foreign Ministers on Thursday night she urged partners to commit to further waves of sanctions for as long as Russian troops are in Ukraine, and to agree that sanctions must remain in place until there is a complete Russian withdrawal and peace agreed.

The Foreign Secretary said that Ukraine also needs a clear pathway to NATO-standard equipment. This includes the immediate provision of NATO-standard artillery shells, which the Ukrainian military needs urgently, the provision of training and expertise by NATO members, as well as a plan set out by NATO allies by the end of the summer for a transition over to this equipment.

She also talked about how the G7 must help Ukraine rebuild from the war, building on the principle of a Marshall Plan for Ukraine, and provide financial and technical assistance.

At the G7 on Thursday, the Foreign Secretary said:

Putin is humiliating himself on the world stage. We must ensure he faces a defeat in Ukraine that denies him any benefit and ultimately constrains further aggression…

To help Ukraine, we need to go further and faster.

The best long term security for Ukraine will come from it being able to defend itself. That means providing Ukraine with a clear pathway to NATO-standard equipment…

Sanctions must remain in place while Russian troops are in Ukraine and peace is threatened… We must never lift sanctions in sensitive areas including critical technology like quantum.

Today (Friday 13th May), the G7 Foreign Ministers will be joined by the Ukrainian and Moldovan Foreign Ministers at the meeting in Schleswig-Holstein where they will discuss the current state of play in Ukraine, and how the G7 can support these countries in their fight against Russian aggression.

On Saturday (14th) the Foreign Secretary will travel to Berlin to meet NATO Foreign Ministers for an informal meeting. The Foreign Secretary will underline that the UK and its allies must develop a strengthened and modernised NATO with a global outlook, ready to tackle global threats.

The visit follows the Prime Minister’s visits to Sweden and Finland earlier this week (11th May) to sign historic declarations with Sweden and Finland to reinforce their security and fortify Europe’s defences.