G7 foreign ministers show unified front as they condemn Russia’s war, call out China’s ‘coercion’

The Group of Seven (G7) advanced economies stressed their solidarity against Russia’s assault on Ukraine, and called on China to “abstain from threats,” in a communique Tuesday following talks in Japan.

The bloc’s top diplomats promised “severe consequences” for any use of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons by Russia in the on-going conflict in Ukraine, and pledged that those supporting the Kremlin’s war effort there would face “severe costs.” In particular, they pointed to Russia’s threat to deploy nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus.