MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Munich Security Conference: G7 foreign ministers’ statement, February 2025

Joint statement:

The G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America and the High Representative of the European Union, met on the margins of the Munich Security Conference for the first time under Canada’s 2025 Presidency.

The G7 members discussed Russia’s devastating war in Ukraine.  They underscored their commitment to work together to help to achieve a durable peace and a strong and prosperous Ukraine and reaffirmed the need to develop robust security guarantees to ensure the war will not begin again.  

The G7 members welcomed their discussion today with Andrii Sybiha, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.  They recalled the G7’s important contribution towards ending the war in Ukraine, including through measures pursuant to the G7 Joint Declaration of Support for Ukraine, by supporting Ukraine financially through the use of extraordinary revenues stemming from Russian Sovereign Assets, by imposing further cost on Russia, if they do not negotiate in good faith, through caps on oil and gas prices, and by making sanctions against Russia more effective. Any new, additional sanctions after February should be linked to whether the Russian Federation enters into real, good-faith efforts to bring an enduring end to the war against Ukraine that provides Ukraine with long-term security and stability as a sovereign, independent country.  The G7 members reaffirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine in defending its freedom, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.

The G7 members discussed the provision to Russia of dual-use assistance by China and of military assistance by DPRK and Iran.  They condemned all such support.

The G7 members discussed political, security and humanitarian issues in the Middle East, including in Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Iran, and their commitment to advancing regional peace and stability.  They underscored the importance of a durable, Israeli-Palestinian peace.  They reaffirmed their support for the full implementation of the ceasefire reached between Israel and Hamas, including for the release of all hostages and the expansion of humanitarian aid in Gaza.  The G7 members stand behind the ongoing efforts of Egypt, Qatar and the United States in continuing to work towards a permanent ceasefire.  They reiterated their unequivocal condemnation of Hamas and the need to ensure that Hamas neither reconstitutes militarily nor participates in governance.  They recognized Israel’s inherent right to self-defence, consistent with international law. 

The G7 members welcomed the outcomes of the International Conference on Syria, hosted by France on February 13, 2025.  They reiterated their shared commitment to the people of Syria and their support for an inclusive political transition process, in the spirit of UN Security Council Resolution 2254.  They welcomed, as well, positive developments in Lebanon, including the recent election of President Joseph Aoun, the designation of Nawaf Salam as Prime Minister, and the formation of a new government.  The G7 members reaffirmed their commitment to both countries’ stability, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.

The G7 members unequivocally condemned Iran’s destabilizing actions, including its rapid advancement of uranium enrichment without credible civil justification, its facilitation of terrorism organizations and armed groups across the Middle East and Red Sea, its proliferation of ballistic missiles and drones, and its transnational repression and violation of fundamental human rights.

The G7 members reiterated their commitment to a free, open and secure Indo-Pacific region, grounded in respect for the rule of law and sovereignty.  They strongly opposed any attempts to change unilaterally the status quo using force and underscored the importance of resolving disputes peacefully.  They strongly opposed China’s attempts to restrict freedom of navigation through militarization and coercive activities in the East and South China Sea. 

The G7 members expressed serious concern over the DPRK’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs and reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. They demanded that the DPRK abandon all its nuclear weapons, existing nuclear programs, and any other weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile programs in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner in accordance with all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs). They underscored that direct DPRK support for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine marks a dangerous expansion of the conflict, with serious consequences for European and Indo-Pacific security. They urged the DPRK to cease immediately all assistance for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, including by withdrawing its troops. The called upon DPRK to resolve the abductions issue immediately.

The G7 members also discussed urgent situations of conflict and instability elsewhere in the world, including in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sudan, and in Haiti and Venezuela.

The G7 Foreign Ministers looked forward to their meeting in Canada in Charlevoix, Quebec on March 12-14.