The Group of Seven (G7) nations are set to ramp up sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine at a summit later this week, targeting energy and exports that support the Kremlin’s war machine, according to officials.
US President Joe Biden meets with fellow G7 leaders in 2021.The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The new punitive measures are expected to be announced by G7 leaders during their three-day get-together, which starts in Hiroshima, Japan on Friday, the Reuters news agency reported.
The measures will target sanctions evasion involving third countries as well as Russia’s future energy production and trade that aids its army, according to officials with direct knowledge of the talks.
Meanwhile, the US administration expects G7 members to adjust their approach to the punitive measures so that, at least for certain categories of goods, all exports are automatically banned unless they are on a list of approved items, Reuters reported.
Such a change could make it harder for Russia to find loopholes in the sanctions regime, according to US officials.
The exact areas where these new rules would apply are still being discussed, Reuters reported.
The G7 brings together the world’s biggest advanced economies and liberal democracies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain and the United States, as well as the European Union as a „non-enumerated member,” according to news outlets.
Ukrainian troops advance 'along Bakhmut direction’: senior commander
Meanwhile, Ukrainian troops continued to defend the key eastern city of Bakhmut and could soon launch a counterattack against invading Russian forces, according to the commander of Ukraine’s Ground Forces, Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi.
Syrskyi said via the Telegram social messaging app on Monday: “The advance of our troops along the Bakhmut direction – that is the first successful offensive operation in the city’s defence.”
The senior military official added: “The last few days have shown that we can move forward and destroy the enemy even in such extremely difficult conditions. The operation to defend Bakhmut continues. All necessary decisions for the defence have been made,” as quoted by Britain’s The Guardian newspaper.
Russian airstrikes seek to undermine Ukrainian counteroffensive: ISW
Russia’s repeated drone and missile strikes against Ukraine, notably the capital Kyiv, are part of a new campaign designed to degrade Ukraine’s ability to carry out counterattacks, according to the Institute for the Study of War.
In its latest analysis of the war in Ukraine, published on Sunday night, the US think tank said: “Increasingly regular series of Russian drone and missile strikes are likely a part of a new Russian air campaign in Ukraine aimed at degrading Ukrainian abilities to conduct counteroffensive offensive operations in the near term.”
The ISW added: “The new Russian air campaign appears to be focused on Kyiv and alleged Ukrainian military industrial and logistics facilities in deep rear areas.”
The US experts noted that Russian forces conducted “another series of drone and missile strikes against Ukraine on the night of May 13 to 14.”
Russian forces have carried out at least 10 series of strikes throughout Ukraine since April 19, according to the ISW.
(pm/gs)
Source: PAP, Reuters, The Guardian, ISW