LONDON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th March, 2021) The G7 group, under the rotary presidency of the United Kingdom, issued a statement on Thursday to reaffirm their unity in supporting Ukraine's territorial integrity and denouncing Russia on the seventh anniversary of its reunification with Crimea.
"We, the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America and the High Representative of the European Union, are united in our condemnation of Russia's continued actions to undermine Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence," the joint statement said.
The ministers reiterated that they still deem the 2014 events to be "an illegitimate and illegal annexation" and reaffirmed "unwavering support" for Ukraine.
Claiming that "Crimea is Ukraine," the G7 stressed the group's commitment to implementing sanctions and accused Russia of being a party, not a mediator, in the Donbas conflict.
On March 16, 2014, Crimea rejoined Russia after over 95 percent of voters backed the move in a referendum, which followed a violent power change in Ukraine. Two days later, an agreement on Crimea's accession to the Russian Federation was signed. Since 2015, March 18 is an official holiday on the peninsula.
The majority of Western countries and Ukraine refuse to recognize the results of the referendum and have imposed sanctions on Russia. Moscow insists that the referendum was conducted in compliance with international law and democratic procedures. According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the issue of the peninsula's territorial belonging is "historically closed."
