Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven countries spent much of their time this week during their final meeting of the year talking about the Russia-Ukraine War and trying to keep it in the international spotlight. But what they couldn’t do was figure out how Donald Trump returning as president of the United States will impact the years-long conflict.
Around a third of the sprawling final document from the ministers of the world’s seven main industrialized economies was directly or indirectly related to what they called “steadfast” support for the Ukrainian cause.
“Our ultimate goal remains to reach a comprehensive, just and lasting peace, capable of restoring full respect for the fundamental principles of international law, blatantly breached by Russia,” the leaders from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the U.K. and U.S. said in the final statement,and last meeting of the Biden administration.
The trouble is nobody is sure how Trump’s return to power in less than two months will impact the Ukraine war. Trump vowed to quickly end the conflict once he takes office by forcing Ukraine to capitulate. He has also mocked Ukraine leadr Volodymyr Zelensky for repeatedly coming to Western leaders with hat in hand.
“Every time he comes to our country he leaves with $60 billion,” Trump said during his campaign, referring to U.S. aid to Ukraine. “He just left four days ago with $60 billion, and he comes home and announces he needs another $60 billion.”
Trump also vowed during his winning campaign to end the Russia-Ukraine war swiftly upon retaking the White House.