The rough sea is an apt symbol for this week’s meeting of G7 foreign ministers on the Italian island of Capri. The Coast Guard boat ferrying VIPs across the Bay of Naples to the island teetered on Wednesday, leaving passengers reaching for motion sickness pills and sometimes motion sickness bags.
While ministers in this elite international coalition, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, have been known to skip lunch, they face a global problem that would make even seasoned diplomats uneasy: the risk of war between Iran and Israel , the nightmare in Gaza and the uncertain fate of Ukraine.
Speaking at the luxurious Kissisana Grand Hotel, Blinken was determined to show unity within the organization that includes Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States and the European Union.
The G7, originally formed to help stabilize the world economy, has become more active and ambitious in recent years, seeking to shape geopolitics and become “a steering committee for the world’s most advanced democracies,” as Blinken said in closing news That’s what Friday’s meeting was about.
Mr. Blinken didn’t quite say that, although he did say the group had spent three days trying to “reduce tensions and de-escalate any potential conflict.” These included those on Gaza and the Red Sea. Israeli attacks have killed more than 33,000 people since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7. Yemeni Houthi militias have been attacking cargo ships in the Red Sea.
The G7 threatened to intensify Western pressure on Iran, demanding in a closing communiqué that “Iran and its affiliated groups cease attacks across the Middle East” and saying “we stand ready to impose further sanctions or take other measures.”
Regarding Iran, Blinken also told reporters that “degrading its missile and drone capabilities” is a key goal of the G7. A senior U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomatic issues, said joint actions were being taken against unnamed Iranian business entities.
The group also discussed Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza, but it was unclear whether it had made any progress toward a ceasefire agreement that would allow for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza and Palestinians imprisoned in Israel. A goal is what the G7 called for in its communiqué. The U.S. official said the group has gone some way around practical constraints in getting aid into Palestinian territory and then distributing it to the devastated Gaza enclave.
Ukraine is another central topic, with ministers vowing to find new ways to support it in the fight against Russia. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba personally attended the rally and made his case, in effect imploring members of the U.S. House of Representatives to contribute to Ukraine.
Mr Kuleba told reporters on Thursday, Aid being considered by Congress “It is no exaggeration to say that it will help Ukrainians avoid being massacred by Russian missiles.” He added: “This is a matter of life and death for thousands of people.”
He also said his country needs more equipment, such as Patriot missile batteries, to protect its people and energy networks from Russian attacks.
Another U.S. official said Blinken met with Kuleiba on Thursday morning with a list of specific weapons systems and the countries the U.S. hopes to deliver them to Ukraine as quickly as possible. Mr. Kuleba retorted, making his wish list. The first U.S. official said G7 countries are likely to soon provide Ukraine with more air defense systems.
Blinken made the strongest public statement yet by a U.S. official that Russian sovereign assets frozen in Western accounts after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine would eventually be used to fund Ukraine’s reconstruction. The United States supports the move, while European countries worry about legal obstacles.
“The Kremlin is calling this theft an act of theft,” Blinken said. “The real theft is that Ukrainian lives have been taken, vast amounts of Ukrainian infrastructure have been destroyed, vast amounts of land have been confiscated.”
“Being able to use these Russian sovereign assets to help rebuild Ukraine is critical,” he added. “One day, no matter what, that’s what’s going to happen.”
The G7 said in a statement on Friday, “We will continue to explore all possible avenues to help Ukraine obtain compensation from Russia, consistent with our respective legal systems and international law.”
Blinken also said that while Beijing was not supplying weapons to Moscow, his peers were losing patience with China’s role in shoring up Russia’s economy and military production. The Russian economy has been severely sanctioned by Western countries. Russia has imposed severe sanctions on Russia.
“If China claims on the one hand that it wants good relations with Europe and other countries, you can’t have on the other hand contributing to the biggest threat to European security since the end of the Cold War,” Blinken said. He is expected to visit Beijing in the coming weeks.
After Friday’s event, Blinken’s motorcade sped down the mountainous island of Capri, past stunned tourists to the port. This time, he was aboard a fast Italian security service ship equipped with machine guns. The water was still rough but the journey back to the mainland was much easier.
