The Group of Seven foreign ministers on Tuesday criticized “in the strongest possible terms” the deepening military collaboration between North Korea and Russia.
In a statement issued after two-day talks in Italy, the ministers said that Pyongyang’s troop dispatch to help Moscow’s war efforts in Ukraine “marks a dangerous expansion of the conflict” and will result in “serious consequences for European and Indo-Pacific security.”
The G7 also reaffirmed that its support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence “will remain unwavering,” amid fears that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s reluctance to help Kyiv may weaken the group’s solidarity after he returns to power in January.
As for China, the forum of major democracies reiterated its opposition to Beijing’s “militarization and coercive and intimidation activities in the South China Sea,” as well as the importance of “peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.”
The group also aired concerns over China’s support for Russia’s defense industrial base through its exports of dual-use materials, while calling on Beijing to press Russia to stop attacking Ukraine.
The meeting in the suburbs of Rome took place as the Ukraine war is entering a new dimension with North Korea’s dispatch of soldiers to Russia’s western border region of Kursk, fueling speculation that Pyongyang could obtain military and nuclear technologies from Moscow in return.
Last week, Kyiv began using Western-provided long-range missiles such as the U.S.-made Army Tactical Missile System to strike deep inside Russian territory. Moscow has hit back with its Oreshnik cutting-edge intermediate-range ballistic missiles, with President Vladimir Putin also reviving threats to use nuclear weapons.
The ministerial talks follow Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential race on Nov. 5. His “America First” unilateralist approach has cast uncertainty over the future of the G7’s efforts to promote international coordination to address common challenges.
In Monday’s sessions, the foreign ministers exchanged views on the Middle East, where tensions remain high between Israel and Iran as Israeli forces continue to battle Iranian-backed militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, respectively.
The G7 comprises Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, plus the European Union. Representatives from countries including Egypt, Ukraine, India, the Philippines and South Korea were invited to some outreach sessions.
