dpa
Capri, Italy
Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) wealthy industrialized democracies gathered on the Italian island of Capri on Thursday amid mounting risks of a broader regional conflict in the Middle East and calls for expanded support for Ukraine.
Further sanctions targeting Iran following attacks on Israel were among the issues discussed by the ministers, as were efforts to prevent further escalation and dissuading Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from launching a large-scale counter-attack.
Additional military aid for Ukraine, which has been battling against a full-scale Russian invasion for more than two years, is also expected to be a major topic at the two-day meeting. The host of the meeting, Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, assured Israel of his support on behalf of all G7 countries: “We are friends of Israel. We support Israel.” The G7 also includes the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Japan. The European Union also takes part in the meetings.
At the same time, he urged both sides to de-escalate. It is feared that a major Israeli counter-attack could lead to a conflagration in the entire region, far beyond Israel’s ongoing military offensive in the Gaza Strip that has been going on for six months.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock called for a tougher stance against Tehran following the Iranian drone and missile attack on Israel, but has also warned against an expansion of the conflict.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba also joined the meeting in the afternoon. Better air-defence support for Ukraine is expected to be on the table in the wake of massive Russian air attacks on Ukraine.
Ukraine’s needs on that front are very urgent, Stoltenberg said, but added: “At the same time, I see some important encouraging signs when it comes to NATO Allies stepping up support for Ukraine.”
