G7 say they stand by Ukrainian people and government

G7 leaders at a summit in Brussels said they stand by the Ukrainian government and people, and also welcome the successful conduct under difficult circumstances of the election in Ukraine on 25 May, the press service of President-elect Petro Poroshenko said on Thursday.

"The strong voter turnout underlined the determination of Ukraine's citizens to determine the future of their country. We welcome Petro Poroshenko as the President-elect of Ukraine and commend him for reaching out to all the people of Ukraine," reads the document.

The G7 leaders commend the willingness of the Ukrainian authorities to continue the national dialogue in an inclusive manner.

"We welcome the 'Memorandum of Peace and Unity' adopted by the Verkhovna Rada on 20 May and express the wish that it can be implemented rapidly. We also encourage the Ukrainian parliament and the Government of Ukraine to continue to pursue constitutional reform in order to provide a framework for deepening and strengthening democracy and accommodating the rights and aspirations of all people in all regions of Ukraine."

Besides, in the document the G7 said they are committed to continuing to work with Ukraine to support its economic development, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

"We encourage the fulfillment of Ukraine's commitment to pursue the difficult reforms that will be crucial to support economic stability and unlock private sector-led growth. We welcome the decision of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to approve a $17 billion programme for Ukraine, which will anchor other bilateral and multilateral assistance and loans, including around $18 billion foreseen to date from G7 partners. We welcome the swift disbursement of macro-economic support for Ukraine. We support an international donor coordination mechanism to ensure effective delivery of economic assistance and we welcome the EU's intention to hold a high-level coordination meeting in Brussels," reads a communiqué from the G7.

The European leaders underscored "ongoing efforts to diversify Ukraine's sources of gas, including through recent steps in the EU towards enabling reverse gas flow capacities."

The document supported by all leaders of G7 says: "In the face of unacceptable interference in Ukraine’s sovereign affairs by the Russian Federation, we stand by the Ukrainian government and people. We call upon the illegal armed groups to disarm. We encourage the Ukrainian authorities to maintain a measured approach in pursuing operations to restore law and order."

Moreover, the G7 backed a "substantial contribution made by the Organization for Security Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to the de-escalation of the crisis through the Special Monitoring Mission and other OSCE instruments."

"We are united in condemning the Russian Federation’s continuing violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea, and actions to de-stabilize eastern Ukraine are unacceptable and must stop. These actions violate fundamental principles of international law and should be a concern for all nations. We urge the Russian Federation to recognize the results of the election, complete the withdrawal of its military forces on the border with Ukraine, stop the flow of weapons and militants across the border and to exercise its influence among armed separatists to lay down their weapons and renounce violence. We call on the Russian Federation to meet the commitments it made in the Geneva Joint Statement and cooperate with the government of Ukraine as it implements its plans for promoting peace, unity and reform," said in a communiqué.

The leaders of the Group of Seven confirmed "the decision by G7 countries to impose sanctions on individuals and entities who have actively supported or implemented the violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity and who are threatening the peace, security and stability of Ukraine."

"We are implementing a strict policy of non-recognition with respect to Crimea/Sevastopol, in line with UN General Assembly Resolution 68/262. We stand ready to intensify targeted sanctions and to implement significant additional restrictive measures to impose further costs on Russia should events so require," they said.

In the document the group also said it hopes that gas talks between Russia and Ukraine will finish successfully, with the assistance of the European Union.