Zelenskyy says G7 agrees on ensuring ‘support’ for Ukraine’s ‘defence and energy resilience’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday confirmed that G7 leaders has agreed to provide additional air-defence support, strengthen Ukraine’s energy resilience and impose fresh sanctions on Russia, as Kyiv seeks to bolster its defences against Moscow’s invasion.Speaking after the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, Zelenskyy welcomed the commitments and described the gathering as an important step in securing continued international backing for Ukraine.“The G7 Summit in France delivered important results for Ukraine. Most importantly, we agreed on additional strengthening of Ukraine’s air defence,” Zelenskyy said on X.“Our partners will ensure support for our defence and energy resilience,” he added, saying new sanctions on Russia would also follow.The commitments were outlined in a joint G7 statement issued overnight, in which leaders pledged to increase deliveries of air-defence systems, interceptors and long-range military capabilities for Ukraine. “We commend Ukraine for its resilience and progress on the battlefield in recent months and emphasise there is now a new momentum” in Kyiv’s resistance, the statement said.The G7 leaders also said they would consider granting licences to help Ukraine manufacture Western weapons domestically, a move aimed at expanding the country’s defence production capacity.French President Emmanuel Macron said the summit produced an “unprecedented convergence” among G7 leaders on support for Ukraine, including US President Donald Trump.Meanwhile, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the outcome showed G7 backing for Ukraine remained “as strong as seldom before” and sent a clear signal to Moscow.Ukraine continues to depend heavily on Western military assistance as it confronts Russian missile and drone attacks and shortages of air-defence ammunition. Kyiv has repeatedly sought additional Patriot missile interceptors and other systems to counter Russian strikes.Zelenskyy is expected to attend a European Union summit in Brussels on Thursday, days after Ukraine formally launched negotiations on joining the bloc.
