US, UK, and German Foreign Ministers Discuss 'Stopping Russia's Invasion of Ukraine'

(Photo by Sky News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] On the 11th (local time), U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met consecutively with the foreign ministers of the United Kingdom and Germany before the start of the G7 Foreign and Development Ministers' Meeting held in Liverpool, UK, reaffirming cooperation related to the Ukraine situation.

Secretary Blinken emphasized the importance of bilateral cooperation to deter Russia's invasion of Ukraine during his meeting with UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, according to State Department spokesperson Ned Price.

The two ministers also exchanged views on COVID-19 response, health security, ways to strengthen the robust bilateral relationship, and discussed the issue of Iran's nuclear program.

Following this, Secretary Blinken met with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock to discuss support measures for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity in the face of Russia's invasion.

Spokesperson Price stated that the two ministers agreed on the need for a strong response should Russia escalate tensions.

They also consulted on current issues such as pandemic eradication, addressing the climate crisis, and advocating for global democracy and human rights.

On the same day, Secretary Blinken also held talks with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi. According to Ned Price, Blinken reaffirmed the importance of the U.S.-Japan alliance in promoting peace, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region during the meeting.

Price explained, "The two ministers discussed various regional and global priorities, including the critical role of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) in addressing these issues."

In particular, Price conveyed that Secretary Blinken emphasized the value of trilateral cooperation among the U.S., Japan, and South Korea to maintain a "free, open, interconnected, prosperous, resilient, and secure" Indo-Pacific region.

This is interpreted as a message regarding the ongoing unresolved conflicts between Japan and South Korea at a time when trilateral cooperation among the three countries is crucial to address issues such as North Korea's nuclear program and other Indo-Pacific regional concerns.

This G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting took place amid rising concerns over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, confrontations between China and Western countries, and the resumption of negotiations to restore the Iran nuclear agreement.

Earlier, on the 7th, U.S. President Joe Biden warned Russian President Vladimir Putin during a virtual summit that strong economic and non-economic sanctions would be imposed if military tensions around Ukraine escalated due to Russia.

According to foreign media reports, the U.S. Congress has agreed that if Russia invades Ukraine, the U.S. and Germany will shut down the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.

Meanwhile, besides G7 member countries, South Korea, Australia, India, and South Africa were also invited to this meeting. ASEAN countries including Malaysia, Thailand, and India were also included among the invitees, marking the first time ASEAN member states appeared on the G7 stage.

This is seen as an opportunity to newly pressure China on human rights issues within the democratic camp. Some expect that G7 member countries will focus on discussing a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Olympics, sending athletes but not government delegations.

Previously, the Five Eyes security alliance countries?led by the U.S., along with the UK, New Zealand, Australia, and Canada?declared a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics.

Before the meeting, the UK as the chair country announced its goal to build a global free network that promotes freedom, democracy, and enterprise, encouraging like-minded countries to cooperate from a favorable position.

Foreign media reported that the statement on the meeting results is expected to include multilateral agreements on Russia, China, and Iran's nuclear program.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.