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Liverpool, England
Britain and the United States warned Russia on Saturday of “serious consequences” if Russian troops invaded Ukraine, as a meeting of G7 foreign ministers takes place in Liverpool.
In talks ahead of the gathering of the group of seven leading Western economic powers, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and her US counterpart Antony Blinken agreed on their support for Ukraine, a British Foreign Office spokesman said on Saturday.
Britain and the US said they remain concerned about Russian military movements near the Ukraine border. According to NATO, Russia has gathered between 75,000 and 100,000 soldiers in the area.
The G7 foreign ministers began their talks in Liverpool on Saturday morning. In addition to hosts Britain, the group includes Germany, the United States, France, Canada, Japan and Italy.
Germany’s new Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock was officially welcomed by host Truss at the Museum of Liverpool before meeting with her other counterparts from the Group of Seven countries.
The first working session was to focus on current geopolitical challenges such as dealing with Russia, China and Iran.
At the weekend meeting, Baerbock from the Green party also wanted to present the priorities of the German G7 presidency, which starts in the coming year and which should also include the fight against the climate crisis.
The previous evening, the politician held bilateral talks with Truss and her US counterpart Antony Blinken.
The two-day meeting is the second under the British chairmanship this year, but the first for Baerbock and also for Truss, who has only been in office since a Cabinet reshuffle a few months ago.
Truss tweeted just ahead of the meeting: “I will be calling for: A show of unity against aggressors, including Russia; the defence and advancement of freedom and democracy; closer economic, tech & security ties.” She and Baerbock had talked together about “handing over [the] baton and working closely with Germany during its G7 Presidency,” Truss wrote.
Earlier, Truss said the UK would aim to damage the Russian economy if it made an incursion into Ukraine, as she prepared to lobby allies during weekend talks to become less dependent on Moscow for cheap gas.
President Joe Biden has spoken with Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the leaders of Germany, Italy and France twice this week as they deliberate on how to deal with the threat.
Truss sidestepped questions about whether there could be a British military response to an invasion, saying only that Defence Secretary Ben Wallace had been in Ukraine “very recently” as the UK helps to build Kiev’s defence and security capability. A deal struck last month will see UK warships and missiles sold to Kiev.
She said Britain would also be pushing for an “alternative to Russian gas supplies” in a bid to establish stronger energy security.
“There have been decisions made by the free world in the short term to obtain cheap energy or cheap financing, and that has a long-term cost for freedom and democracy,” the former trade secretary said.
“And we can’t make that mistake again,” Truss added.
Over the course of the weekend, the Foreign Secretary will hold bilateral meetings with counterparts from the G7 countries and the EU, as well as guest countries - such as Australia and South Korea - joining the event at the Museum of Liverpool.
On Sunday, she will host plenary sessions on global health security as well as regarding the Indo-Pacific region, with foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations joining the G7 meeting for the first time.
It comes after the UK’s integrated review on foreign policy announced a “tilt” towards the Indo-Pacific, in a move seen as aiming to counter China’s growing influence in the region.
With the UK on Friday recording the highest number of Covid-19 infections since January, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said overseas attendees in Liverpool would have to take a PCR test before being admitted to the event, with daily testing on-site.
Liverpool, England
Britain and the United States warned Russia on Saturday of “serious consequences” if Russian troops invaded Ukraine, as a meeting of G7 foreign ministers takes place in Liverpool.
In talks ahead of the gathering of the group of seven leading Western economic powers, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and her US counterpart Antony Blinken agreed on their support for Ukraine, a British Foreign Office spokesman said on Saturday.
Britain and the US said they remain concerned about Russian military movements near the Ukraine border. According to NATO, Russia has gathered between 75,000 and 100,000 soldiers in the area.
The G7 foreign ministers began their talks in Liverpool on Saturday morning. In addition to hosts Britain, the group includes Germany, the United States, France, Canada, Japan and Italy.
Germany’s new Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock was officially welcomed by host Truss at the Museum of Liverpool before meeting with her other counterparts from the Group of Seven countries.
The first working session was to focus on current geopolitical challenges such as dealing with Russia, China and Iran.
At the weekend meeting, Baerbock from the Green party also wanted to present the priorities of the German G7 presidency, which starts in the coming year and which should also include the fight against the climate crisis.
The previous evening, the politician held bilateral talks with Truss and her US counterpart Antony Blinken.
The two-day meeting is the second under the British chairmanship this year, but the first for Baerbock and also for Truss, who has only been in office since a Cabinet reshuffle a few months ago.
Truss tweeted just ahead of the meeting: “I will be calling for: A show of unity against aggressors, including Russia; the defence and advancement of freedom and democracy; closer economic, tech & security ties.” She and Baerbock had talked together about “handing over [the] baton and working closely with Germany during its G7 Presidency,” Truss wrote.
Earlier, Truss said the UK would aim to damage the Russian economy if it made an incursion into Ukraine, as she prepared to lobby allies during weekend talks to become less dependent on Moscow for cheap gas.
President Joe Biden has spoken with Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the leaders of Germany, Italy and France twice this week as they deliberate on how to deal with the threat.
Truss sidestepped questions about whether there could be a British military response to an invasion, saying only that Defence Secretary Ben Wallace had been in Ukraine “very recently” as the UK helps to build Kiev’s defence and security capability. A deal struck last month will see UK warships and missiles sold to Kiev.
She said Britain would also be pushing for an “alternative to Russian gas supplies” in a bid to establish stronger energy security.
“There have been decisions made by the free world in the short term to obtain cheap energy or cheap financing, and that has a long-term cost for freedom and democracy,” the former trade secretary said.
“And we can’t make that mistake again,” Truss added.
Over the course of the weekend, the Foreign Secretary will hold bilateral meetings with counterparts from the G7 countries and the EU, as well as guest countries - such as Australia and South Korea - joining the event at the Museum of Liverpool.
On Sunday, she will host plenary sessions on global health security as well as regarding the Indo-Pacific region, with foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations joining the G7 meeting for the first time.
It comes after the UK’s integrated review on foreign policy announced a “tilt” towards the Indo-Pacific, in a move seen as aiming to counter China’s growing influence in the region.
With the UK on Friday recording the highest number of Covid-19 infections since January, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said overseas attendees in Liverpool would have to take a PCR test before being admitted to the event, with daily testing on-site.
