G-7 Leaders Wrap Up Summit Meant to Bolster Ukraine Support

Ukrainian State Emergency Service firefighters work to extinguish a fire at a shopping center burned after a rocket attack in Kremenchuk, Ukraine, late Monday, June 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
Ukrainian State Emergency Service firefighters work to extinguish a fire at a shopping center burned after a rocket attack in Kremenchuk, Ukraine, late Monday, June 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
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G-7 Leaders Wrap Up Summit Meant to Bolster Ukraine Support

Ukrainian State Emergency Service firefighters work to extinguish a fire at a shopping center burned after a rocket attack in Kremenchuk, Ukraine, late Monday, June 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
Ukrainian State Emergency Service firefighters work to extinguish a fire at a shopping center burned after a rocket attack in Kremenchuk, Ukraine, late Monday, June 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

The Group of Seven on Tuesday was wrapping up a summit intended to send a strong signal of long-term commitment to Ukraine's future, ensuring that Russia pays a higher price for its invasion while also attempting to alleviate a global hunger crisis and show unity against climate change.

Before the summit's close, leaders joined in condemning what they called the “abominable” Russian attack on a shopping mall in the town of Kremechuk, calling it a “war crime” and vowing that President Vladimir Putin and others involved “will be held to account.”

The leaders of the US, Germany, France, Italy, the UK, Canada and Japan on Monday pledged to support Ukraine “for as long as it takes” after conferring by video link with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, The Associated Press said.

The summit host, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, said he “once again very emphatically set out the situation as Ukraine currently sees it.” Zelenskyy's address, amid a grinding Russian advance in Ukraine's east, came hours before Ukrainian officials reported a deadly Russian missile strike on a crowded shopping mall in the central city of Kremenchuk.

Officials have said during the summit that leaders of the major economies are preparing to unveil plans to pursue a price cap on Russian oil, raise tariffs on Russian goods and impose other new sanctions. Agreement on some of the complexities of the oil price cap — such as whether it would apply only to Russia or to other oil producers — could be left for further discussions beyond the summit.

From the secluded Schloss Elmau hotel in the Bavarian Alps, the G-7 leaders will continue straight to Madrid for a summit of NATO leaders — where fallout from Russia's invasion of Ukraine will again dominate the agenda. All G-7 members other than Japan are NATO members, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has been invited to Madrid.

Zelenskyy has openly worried that the West has become fatigued by the cost of a war that is contributing to soaring energy costs and price hikes on essential goods around the globe. The G-7 has sought to assuage those concerns.

While the group's annual gathering has been dominated by Ukraine and by the war's knock-on effects, such as the challenge to food supplies in parts of the world caused by the interruption of Ukrainian grain exports, Scholz has been keen to show that the G-7 also can move ahead on pre-war priorities.

The summit host has been keen to secure agreement on the creation of a “climate club” for countries that want to speed ahead when it comes to tackling global warming.
After a meeting Monday with leaders of five developing nations, a joint statement issued by Germany emphasized the need to accelerate a “clean and just energy transition” that would see an end to the burning of fossil fuels without causing a sharp rise in unemployment.

In the cautiously phrased statement, the leaders tentatively endorsed the global “climate club” idea.



Dutch See Options for Netanyahu to Visit Despite ICC Arrest Warrant

 Netherlands' Prime Minister Dick Schoof talks during a press conference at the Ministry of General Affairs, in The Hague on November 11, 2024. (AFP)
Netherlands' Prime Minister Dick Schoof talks during a press conference at the Ministry of General Affairs, in The Hague on November 11, 2024. (AFP)
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Dutch See Options for Netanyahu to Visit Despite ICC Arrest Warrant

 Netherlands' Prime Minister Dick Schoof talks during a press conference at the Ministry of General Affairs, in The Hague on November 11, 2024. (AFP)
Netherlands' Prime Minister Dick Schoof talks during a press conference at the Ministry of General Affairs, in The Hague on November 11, 2024. (AFP)

Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof on Friday said there could be options for Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to visit the Netherlands without being arrested, despite the International Criminal Court's (ICC) arrest warrant against him.

His words seemed to tone down a previous stance by his foreign minister Caspar Veldkamp, who last week in parliament said the Netherlands fully cooperates with the ICC, explaining that meant "we act on arrest warrants for people who are on Dutch territory".

Schoof on Friday said there were still scenarios within the Netherlands' duties towards the ICC in which Netanyahu would not be arrested, depending on the reason of his visit.

"The most important thing is that we have obligations that come from the treaty (on which the ICC is based), and that we comply to them," Schoof said at a news conference.

"In light of that, we would have to see how we act when the prime minister of Israel were to come to the Netherlands. There are possible scenarios, also within international law, in which he would be able to come to the Netherlands without being arrested."

Schoof did not elaborate on the circumstances under which Netanyahu could come. Last week he said it might be possible for Netanyahu to visit an international organization located in the Netherlands, such as the UN watchdog for chemical weapons OPCW, without being arrested.

The Netherlands is also host nation to the ICC, which is located in The Hague.

The ICC issued arrest warrants last week for Netanyahu, his former defense chief Yoav Gallant and a Hamas leader, for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza conflict.

Though all EU member states are signatories to the ICC's founding treaty, France said on Wednesday it believed Netanyahu had immunity to actions by the ICC, given Israel has not signed up to the court statutes.

Italy has said it is not feasible to arrest Netanyahu as long as he remains head of Israel's government.

Israel, which launched its offensive in Gaza in response to Hamas's deadly attack on southern Israeli communities on Oct. 7, 2023, has said it will appeal against the warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant.