Leaders of the Group of Seven industrialized nations pledged continued support for Ukraine on Saturday as the country marked the second anniversary of Russia's invasion, committing to further pressuring Moscow and imposing sanctions on third countries assisting the military aggression.
"As Ukraine enters the third year of this relentless war, its government and its people can count on the G7's support for as long as it takes," the leaders said in a statement issued after their video conference hosted by the group's rotating chair Italy.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called for "unity" among G7 members in continuing to impose sanctions on Russia, while criticizing North Korea's military support for the country, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.
"Russia's use of North Korean ballistic missiles in Ukraine is totally unacceptable," Kishida was quoted as saying in the press release, underscoring that the transfer of North Korean weapons to Russia is a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions.
The gathering was the first among G7 leaders since Italy assumed this year's G7 presidency. The G7 comprises Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States and the European Union.
In the G7 statement, the leaders vowed to fully implement sanctions on Russia and adopt "new measures as necessary."
They also said they will "impose additional sanctions on companies and individuals in third countries who help Russia acquire weapons or key inputs for weapons," and called upon North Korea and Russia to "immediately cease" missile exports and procurement.
