G7 leaders have strongly condemned the missile attack on a shopping centre in Kremenchuk. “Arbitrary attacks on innocent civilians are war crimes. Russian President Putin and others responsible will be held accountable,” they said in a joint statement.  PDF, 70 KB, non-accessible “United in mourning for the innocent victims of this brutal attack, we stand side by side with Ukraine.”

Radical turning point in international relations

The G7 leaders’ deliberations on the second day of the Summit in Elmau focused on further support for Ukraine.

Further support for Ukraine was the focus of the G7 leaders’ deliberations on the second day of the Summit in Elmau. “As we have reaffirmed, all of us will continue to support Ukraine in its defence against Russia,” stressed Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz after the consultations. The war marked a “radical turning point in international relations,” said the Federal Chancellor. “All the rules, all the agreements we made with each other about the way our nations should cooperate have been broken – in particular the understanding that borders should not be changed using force.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attended the talks at Schloss Elmau via video link.

The G7 agreed that Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine would shape international relations for a long time to come, said the Federal Chancellor. “In relations with Russia, there can be no going back to the time before the Russian invasion of Ukraine.” The G7 has pledged financial, humanitarian, military and diplomatic assistance to Ukraine in the war against Russia – and this support is not subject to a time limit.  In a joint declaration the Group of Seven (G7) PDF, 119 KB, accessible also announced a tightening of sanctions against Russia.

Federal Chancellor Scholz and US President Biden previously discussed this issue at their bilateral talks about the war on Sunday. The two leaders were unanimous in their assessment, said Scholz: “Germany and the USA will always act together when it comes to questions of Ukraine’s security.”

G7 united in its belief in democracy and the rule of law

Since Sunday, the Federal Chancellor has been chairing the consultations of the G7 Heads of State and Government. The leaders of the economically strong democracies are meeting for three days at Schloss Elmau. “We share a common view of the world. We’re also united by our belief in democracy and the rule of law,” said Federal Chancellor Scholz at the beginning of the Summit, adding that this would be a key factor in the consultations.

The G7 countries had stood closely alongside each other from the outset when it came to organising support for Ukraine, as had the European Union and NATO, said Scholz. Recent missile attacks on houses in Kyiv had once again demonstrated what a brutal war Putin was waging, he said. “This shows that it’s right for us to stand together and support Ukrainians in defending their country, their democracy and their freedom to self-determination,” said the Federal Chancellor.

Standing side by side to solve global problems

At the first working session on Sunday, the G7 leaders discussed global economic issues. All the G7 countries were concerned about the crises they currently faced, said Scholz – falling growth rates in some countries, rising inflation, raw material shortages and supply chain disruption. These were by no means insignificant challenges, said the Federal Chancellor, which was why it was important to bear joint responsibility.

“The G7 is a good community in which to develop joint solutions in response to the challenges of our time. Here it is crucial for us to take action that is both decisive and united – the two go together,” said the Federal Chancellor.

Partnership for global infrastructure and investment

The G7 made it clear at its second working session that it aims to make major investments in global infrastructure. Together with US President Biden, Federal Chancellor Scholz presented the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment. To this end, the G7 partners plan to mobilise up to 600 billion US dollars in public and private investments over the next five years. “The G7 are seeking to make the world a better place with a better infrastructure,” said the Federal Chancellor. The G7 infrastructure initiative was building on strong regional initiatives such as the EU Global Gateway Initiative and the work of all G7 members, said Scholz – another example of close cooperation among the G7 countries.

Among other things, Germany is offering South Africa a KfW development loan of 300 million euros under the Joint Energy Transition Partnerships (JETP) to finance the energy transition. In addition, Germany is part of the European Global Gateway Initiative, which aims to mobilise up to 300 billion euros in public and private investment for global infrastructure and connectivity by 2027.

“Progress towards an equitable world”

Further working sessions dealt with issues of investment in global infrastructure, foreign and security policy, and climate protection. The G7 Summit is also addressing the global consequences of the war in Ukraine: rising energy prices, the shortage of raw materials and the threat of worldwide famine. Nonetheless, many countries in the southern hemisphere are still struggling with the consequences of the pandemic. This is why the Federal Government has made a point of inviting influential representatives of the Global South to Elmau. “Listening to each other establishes mutual understanding, and this facilitates cooperation,” said Scholz after the consultations with the partner countries, adding that there had been very open and constructive discussion of issues such as climate protection, energy supply and the fight against world famine. 

A strong, rules-based international order cannot be achieved without solidarity and cooperation among the world’s democracies – both within the G7 and beyond. Global partnerships and initiatives are needed to make real progress on the important challenges facing the world of the future. This is why the G7 members are not just keeping to themselves in Elmau: Germany has invited five partner countries to attend the Summit, all of which embrace freedom and the rule of law: Argentina, India, Indonesia, Senegal and South Africa.

“Progress towards an equitable world” – this is the goal Germany set itself on taking over the G7 Presidency at the beginning of the year, laying out five areas of action to guide the work of the G7.

In addition to the partner countries, the following international organisations are participating this year: the United Nations, the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Trade Organization (WTO), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the International Energy Agency (IEA). The G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council (GEAC) is also represented.