The ambassadors of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, the US and the EU (G7) in Cairo issued a joint statement on Monday condemning the actions of the Russian military in Ukraine and urging Egypt to immediately condemn them. Urgent meeting of the UN General Assembly scheduled for this week
“With its military attack on Ukraine, the Russian government violates the most elementary rules of international order in an unprecedented way before the eyes of the whole world,” the statement said.
The report says that on Monday in Ukraine, babies are born in bomb shelters and metro stations. Apartment buildings across Kiev are covered in gaping holes from rocket attacks. Young and old civilians, men and women, many of whom have never held a weapon in their lives, bravely and voluntarily defend their country against an illegal and unjustified invasion in violation of the sovereignty of their country.
According to the statement, the leaders of the G7 are unanimous in the need to take strong and decisive action against the Putin regime.
“Our leaders have decided to impose wide-ranging sanctions targeting vast sectors of the Russian economy. The Russian stock market is already nose-diving as panicked investors try to get money out of the country. This will only increase as we continue to apply the most severe sanctions ever imposed on a major economy. Putin made a huge strategic mistake, and the truth about it will only become clearer.”
In addition, the ambassadors stated that “but today we are talking not only about the situation in Europe. No country in the world can accept the fact that foreign sovereignty can be seized when a stronger neighbor wants it. The international community cannot tolerate unjustified violations of the principles of the United Nations Charter, in particular the prohibition on the use of force. Russia’s attempt to destabilize the international order will also have repercussions in the Middle East and Africa, including Egypt.”
They explained that Egypt was already suffering due to Russian aggression. Egypt is the largest importer of wheat in the world, and Ukraine is one of the largest suppliers. Now this vital trade is threatened by an unnecessary war unleashed by Russia against Ukraine.
“Russia’s aggressive war means that wheat and food prices will rise in Egypt and Africa. Millions of Ukrainian tourists who love and appreciate Egypt and the unique Egyptian sense of warmth and hospitality will be denied the opportunity to travel, which will directly harm the Egyptian tourism industry. This should not have happened,” they added.
As for the Ukrainian tourists currently stranded in Egypt, the G7 ambassadors welcomed the assistance provided by the Egyptian authorities until their safe return can be guaranteed.
“The Russian invasion of Ukraine threatens the foundations of international peace, stability and the rules-based international world order.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned this violation of the UN Charter in clear terms and called on Russia to stop the attack and withdraw from Ukrainian territory. He made it clear that this is a global crisis that affects all UN member states.
He added that Russia’s use of the term “peacekeeping” is a “perversion”, adding that there was no genocide in eastern Ukraine.
“There is no evidence to support this Russian disinformation. This war, chosen by President Putin, undermines the foundations of the UN Charter. Not a single UN member state can be sure that its borders, its existence will not be called into question tomorrow. Russia does not even pretend that it is acting within the framework of the Charter.”
“What we need now is a clear and unanimous condemnation of this attack by all UN member states in light of its military aggression.”
“We must support Ukraine and reaffirm our unwavering commitment to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders and in accordance with the UN Charter,” he said.
“We are confident that the Egyptian government adheres to the same principles of peace, stability and the integrity of the rules-based international order. Egypt is a country that is quite rightly proud of its consistent position on foreign policy issues. Since the time of President Nasser, Egypt has upheld non-intervention as a fundamental principle of the modern international order and has firmly believed in the importance of the UN and has firmly adhered to the principles of the UN Charter.”
In addition, the ambassadors said that the Egyptians know the value of diplomacy and dialogue and respect the honor of defending the rights of others.
This week, the UN General Assembly will meet in an emergency meeting to discuss the crisis in Ukraine.
“We expect our partners, including Egypt, to uphold the fundamental principles of the UN Charter,” the G7 ambassadors concluded.