13 June 2024

50th G7 Summit June 13-15, 2024: US, Japan, Canada, Germany, France, Italy and Britain Gathering in Italy’s Puglia region

NEW HEALDINE FROM NEW YORK TIMES:

Weakened Leaders of the West Gather in Italy to Discuss an Unruly World

The Group of 7 gathers major industrialized countries, but its leaders are politically weak and Ukraine and Gaza remain unsolved.

The G7 Summit is being held in Borgo Egnazia (Fasano) in Apulia, on June 13-15, 2024. The event brings together the Leaders of the seven member States, as well as the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission representing the European Union.


How G-7 Nations Plan to Counter Rising Clout of Russia and China



Here is the group shot from the G7 summit, from left-right: 

Charles MichelOlaf ScholzJustin TrudeauEmmanuel MacronGiorgia MeloniJoe BidenFumio KishidaRishi Sunak and Ursula von der Leyen.

 G7 lineup in Italy. Photograph: Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan has been speaking to the media at the sidelines of the G7 summit, Reuters reports, and he said that during discussions today Joe Biden will encourage other nations to support ceasefire negotiations trying to end fighting in Gaza.
Sullivan said Hamas had submitted an amended proposal with some minor changes that could be worked out, as well as others that were not in line with what Biden had laid out or that had been embraced by the UN security council.

“Our goal is to figure out how we bridge the remaining gaps and get to a deal,” he said, adding that discussions would continue with Qatar and Egypt, who, in turn, would work with Hamas to reach agreement as quickly as possible.

Japan’s prime minister Fumio Kishida, Canada’s Justin Trudeau and French president Emmanuel Macron have all arrived, and the news wires are beginning to carry pictures of the leaders being greeted by Giorgia Meloni.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, left, is welcomed by Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni during a G7 world leaders summit. Photograph: Luca Bruno/AP
The UK’s Rishi Sunak breaks from election campaigning to attend the G7 summit. Photograph: Luca Bruno/AP
Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida arrives. Photograph: Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters
French President Emmanuel Macron signs a guest book at the G7. Photograph: Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters
Canada's prime minister Justin Trudeau with Giorgia Meloni. Photograph: Luca Bruno/AP
As the leaders began to gather at the G7 summit, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskiyy has issued a lengthy message on social media ahead of today’s discussions. 


In it, he said:
  • For us, the main issues are developing fighter jet coalition, expediting pilot training, and accelerating aircraft delivery. 
  • Development of the Ukrainian air defense system based on the most powerful western systems, as well as an increase in long-range capability.

Bilateral security agreements will be signed during meetings with US President Joe Biden and Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida. 

The document with the United States will be unprecedented, as it should be for leaders who support Ukraine.

The entire Ukrainian people, including our warriors, see that the G7 will always support Ukraine. I am grateful to our partners for their belief in us and our victory.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++2h ago

Patrick Wintour
Patrick Wintour

Patrick Wintour is in Puglia for the Guardian, and overnight he had this curtain raiser

A dramatic expansion of entities exposed to US sanctions for helping the Russian economy and an EU-led $50bn loan to ease the financial burden on Ukraine will be at the centre of discussions at a summit of the leaders of wealthy G7 nations in Puglia, Italy, starting on Thursday.

G7 summit opens with deal to use Russian assets for Ukraine : NPR

The leaders, facing unprecedented challenges from discontented electorates, will be under heightened pressure to provide concrete results as their three days of discussion range across an interlinked agenda encompassing 
  • the war in Ukraine
  • migration, 
  • Africa, 
  • the Middle East, 
  • the climate crisis and 
  • harnessing artificial intelligence (AI).
The G7 was once a cloistering of western leaders in informal conversation, but host countries can invite outside guests to join some of the sessions. 
Italy has thrown open the doors and will welcome 
  • Pope Francis; 
  • Javier Milei, the populist president of Argentina; 
  • Narendra Modi, the Indian prime minister; and 
  • Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the Brazilian president. 
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, will stage a joint press conference with the US president, Joe Biden. 
The aim is to show the west remains determined to confront Russia’s “arsenal of autocracy”, but is not preoccupied with its own problems.
  • The meeting is also billed by the US state department as the best opportunity to ease Ukraine’s financial burdens before the US’s presidential elections in November and send a message to Russia of western stamina. As much as feasible the G7 would like its decisions to be Trump-proof.

Read more of Patrick Wintour’s article here: G7 leaders head to Italy for summit as Ukraine and Russia top the agenda

As well as the G7 summit in Italy today, there is also a high profile meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, hosted by the US at NATO’s Headquarters in Brussels.

Going into the event secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said members are set to take tougher action against Russian spies across the alliance in response to a campaign of hostile activities by Moscow that includes acts of sabotage and cyberattacks.

“We have seen several examples of sabotage, of arson attempts, of cyber attacks, of disinformation,” he told reporters, adding NATO defense ministers meeting in Brussels later in the day would “address the Russian campaign of hostile activities.”

Jens Stoltenberg holds a press conference ahead of the Nato defense ministers' meeting in Brussels. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images

Good progress has been made on international efforts to unlock the value of frozen Russian assets to help fund Ukraine, Reuters reports US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Thursday, adding he hoped for agreement by the time G7 leaders meet.

He said G7 leaders were more unified than ever on major issues, including Chinese industrial overcapacity 

The first arrivals have been Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel representing the European Union, prime minister Rishi Sunak of the UK, and Olaf Scholz, chancellor of Germany.

Giorgia Meloni and Ursula von der Leyen at the G7 summit.
Photograph: Luca Bruno/AP

Here is a picture of Giorgia Meloni’s arrival at the G7 summit.

Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni waits for the arrival of other G7 leaders. Photograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

While we wait for other G7 leaders to arrive, Reuters is carrying a quick snap that Ukraine and Japan are expected to sign a security agreement later today. At the same time Reuters reports Ukraine’s foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Thursday he welcomed a sweeping new set of US sanctions imposed on Russia and praised the measures taken against its defence industrial base.

Italy’s prime minister Giorgia Meloni has just arrived at the venue.

This is the scene at the Borgo Egnazia resort as G7 leaders are scheduled to begin arriving.

People wait for the arrival of leaders at the Borgo Egnazia resort. Photograph: Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters
Biden will urge G7 leaders to push Hamas to back ceasefire deal - White  House's Sullivan | Reuters
Borgo Egnazia, Savelletri di Fasano – Updated 2024 Prices


No comments:

Field video -Ukraine’s Up-Armored, Drone-Jamming M-1A1 Abrams Tanks Are ...

Ukrainian 47th Brigade Releases Video of M1A1 Abrams Fully Covered in Kontakt-1 Reactive Armor. 8 Oct, 2024 - 10:01 This armor is particular...