Russia, China Blast G7 Summit Agenda to 'Deter' Both Countries

Moscow and Beijing expressed their displeasure with the leaders of the major democracies at the Group of 7 (G7) Summit in Hiroshima for vowing fresh sanctions against Russia and voicing worries about China.

Sergey Lavrov, foreign minister of Russia, lambasted the G7 for their conceit and said they were trying to "deter" China and Russia.

Russia also got infuriated by the G7's persistent support for Ukraine and reluctance to yield, per Reuters.

China's Foreign Ministry also accused G7 leaders of hindering world peace and urged for contemplation and reform.

China complained to host Japan and others of "smearing and attacking" Beijing. In its reaction, China asked the G7 not to support the economic pressure from the United States, per CNN.

The G7 Summit addressed Russia's actions against Ukraine and China's rising assertiveness.

In a declaration on economic security, the G7 vowed to fight against economic coercion, pointing out the growing tendency of nations to use trade as a weapon, per Al Jazeera. While without identifying China, the G7 voiced concern about economic coercion and pledged to work together to stop efforts to coerce compliance and exploit weaknesses.

本日、広島サミットは閉幕となりますが、日本のG7議長年は続きます。法の支配に基づく、自由で開かれた国際秩序を守り抜く。そして、国際的なパートナーとの関与を強化する。G7の議論を主導し、議長年の務めをしっかりと果たしていきます。 pic.twitter.com/GT7VVj4Xcd
— 首相官邸 (@kantei) May 21, 2023

The G7 Leaders swore in a statement that they would "continue to coordinate, share lessons, and seek to align our approaches where feasible to maximize the effectiveness of our efforts."

Zelensky Meets World Leaders at G7 Summit

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made an unexpected personal visit and pleaded with the G7 to sustain their support amid the ongoing war. Kyiv recently denied Russia's claim of seizing Bakhmut.

President Volodymyr Zelensky leveraged the G7 conference to lobby leaders like Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who have yet to publicly back Ukraine.

Members of the G7 are the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and Canada. The European Union further takes part as a non-country member.

Several non-G7 leaders attended the latest G-7 Summit in addition to the G7 members, including Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.