On Monday, the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, said that the current armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine must reach peace by the end of the year. Zelensky's comments came during his address to the G7, calling the states members to continue sanctioning Moscow.
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G7 Pledges Continued Support for Ukraine Against Russia
During the session via video link, the Ukrainian President commented on the hard time Ukrainian troops would have fighting against Russian forces once the winter conditions take hold. He urged the G7 to join efforts to end the conflict before the year ends; at the time, Zelensky asked for anti-aircraft defense systems and security guarantees.
The Ukrainian leader suggested stricter sanctions against Russia recalling how necessary it is "not to lower the pressure." The U.S. President Joe Biden's national security advisor, Jake Sullivan said that Zelensky pretends to gaining the upper hand over Russia as quickly as possible.
"He was very much focused on trying to ensure that Ukraine is in as advantageous a position on the battlefield as possible in the next months as opposed to the next years because he believes that a grinding conflict is not in the interest of the Ukrainian people," said Sullivan.
Zelensky, at the G7 Summit, asked for air defense systems and tougher sanctions against the Russian Federation.
During the three-day G7 Summit in the Bavarian Alps, with the agenda mainly directed at the armed conflict in Ukrainian territory, a draft communique was issued where reportedly the West's top economies will soon announce indefinite support for Kiev in its fight against Moscow.
"We will continue to provide financial, humanitarian, military and diplomatic support and stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes," according to a draft of the leaders' statement.