Rishi Sunak has issued a warning to Vladimir Putin that he and other Western leaders are “not going away”, at the start of the G7 summit in Japan.
The prime minister said Russia’s president must understand that Western allies of Ukraine are “steadfast” in their support for the country’s resistance against his invasion.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky will attend the summit in Japan on Sunday, as Mr Sunak and other leaders dial up the pressure on Russia. The prime minister said Russia will “pay a price”, as he launched a new wave of sanctions targeting the country, which include a ban on importing Russian diamonds, copper, aluminium and nickel.
“My message to Putin is straightforward. We’re not going away,” Mr Sunak told Sky News at Hiroshima’s Seifukan tea house shortly before the start of the summit.
There has been uncertainty about whether the EU will go as far as Britain on diamonds, with the trade being particularly lucrative for Belgium. But Mr Sunak said: “I’m hopeful and confident that our partner countries will follow, as they have done when we’ve done this previously. That will make the sanctions more effective [and] ensure that Russia pays a price for its illegal activity.”
The world’s most powerful democracies vowed on Friday to increase pressure on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine, days before Mr Zelensky was set to join the summit in person.
“Our support for Ukraine will not waver,” the G7 leaders said, vowing “to stand together against Russia’s illegal, unjustifiable, and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine”.
“Russia started this war and can end this war,” they said. The leaders added that existing measures against Russia would be broadened, and that any exports to the country that could contribute to perpetuating its so far 15-month-long war against Ukraine would be restricted across the G7 nations.
“This includes exports of industrial machinery, tools, and other technology that Russia uses to rebuild its war machine,” they said. Efforts will continue to restrict the amount of revenue Russia can accrue from its trade in metals and diamonds.
Having signed a new defence and security pact with Tokyo, Mr Sunak will visit the A-Bomb Dome with his Japanese counterpart, Fumio Kishida, to reflect on the devastation wrought by nuclear weapons at the end of the Second World War.
Talks between the G7 allies, including US president Joe Biden and French president Emmanuel Macron, will centre on military and economic support for Ukraine as they seek to show a united front.
Mr Sunak told Sky: “Russia needs to know that we and other countries remain steadfast in our resolve to support Ukraine, not just in the here and now with the resources it needs to protect itself, but for the long term as well.”
One of the common topics of conversation I’ll be having … is about the longer-term security agreements that we put in place in Ukraine
Speaking to ITV News, he added: “They can’t just outlast us in this conflict. One of the common topics of conversation I’ll be having and have been having with my fellow leaders is about the longer-term security agreements that we put in place in Ukraine, to deter future Russian aggression.”
The UK is also preparing new individual sanctions against 86 people and companies, in an effort to apply further pressure to the Russian president and his supporters.
The diamond export industry was worth more than £3bn to Russia in 2021, but No 10 conceded that direct imports have been low since the UK sanctioned Russian state-owned mining company Alrosa last year.
Rishi Sunak visits the Shukkeien Garden during the G7 summit
Britain’s move will increase the pressure on any hesitant allies to follow suit.
The three-day summit, attended by the leaders of Italy, Germany, Canada, France and the United States as well as Japan and the UK, will also include talks on economic stability and the security of Taiwan in the face of Chinese aggression.
Mr Sunak’s official spokesperson said: “Guarding against economic coercion is something that the prime minister is pushing for.”
On Sunday, Mr Sunak will meet with his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, who is attending the summit as a guest. Mr Modi, who has previously been close to the Russian president, has remained neutral on the Russian invasion, calling for peaceful dialogue to end the war.
Mr Sunak told reporters travelling with him in Japan that he had seen “positive” steps from India in its position on Ukraine, and emphasised the need to maintain the dialogue.
Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty arrive by plane in Hiroshima after their visit to Tokyo
“One thing we have to keep doing is talking to countries like India and also Brazil. That is going to be in the second part of the summit, which is a good thing,” Mr Sunak told reporters.
Additional reporting by PA
