Ukraine war: US objects to calling Russia 'aggressor' in G7 statement

By Steven Erlanger, Matina Stevis-Gridneff & David E Sanger

 

The US is opposing calling Russia the aggressor in the war with Ukraine in a Group of 7 (G7) statement being drafted to mark the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion, four senior officials from countries involved said on Thursday.

The American objections to the statement come after President Trump earlier this week blamed Ukraine for starting the war, which in fact began with Russia’s attack on Ukraine. 

One senior official from a G7 country said that Canada had circulated the first draft of the statement to the other six member countries. That version, the official said, used language that retained the pro-Ukraine tone the group of allies adopted after the full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022. 

 

The US side went through that first draft this week and removed all references that could be interpreted as being pro-Ukraine, the official said. The result, the official added, was a neutral draft statement that made no references to Russia as the aggressor in the conflict, nor to Ukraine as the victim of the invasion. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity given the sensitivity of the discussions. Canada took the lead in writing the draft because it currently holds the presidency of the G7.  Diplomats are continuing to work on the language in the draft, which currently describes “a devastating war that began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,” but does not use the words “Russian aggression” or “aggressors,” which have been in G7 statements since 2022, senior German and European officials said. 

The US objection to labeling Russia as an aggressor was reported earlier by The Financial Times. Another senior official from a G7 nation added that the drafting and negotiating over the text could continue until Monday, when the text is set to be published. Similarly, it is not yet settled whether the G7 leaders who will meet virtually on Monday will invite President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine to participate, as he did last year, the official said.

 

The American objections follow a bitter exchange of insults between Zelenskyy and Trump. The US president has vowed to try to end the war rapidly and has authorised envoys to hold talks with Russia without the involvement of Kyiv or European nations.

 

The officials emphasised that the G7 draft was not finished but also said that it was important to come up with a mutually agreed to statement, which is never easy and always requires “wordsmithing.” Canada began the drafting process by adhering to expressions used in previous G7 statements on the war, which condemned Russia at some length. But Trump administration officials indicated they wanted something different from and shorter than the statement issued under former President Joe Biden and sought to ensure it did not interfere or block the negotiations now underway with Russia, the officials said. 

The Americans also wanted to cut passages that described the invasion as a breach of sovereignty, one official said. 

For now, the current draft includes a statement that says strong security guarantees and Ukraine’s integration into the European Union “will be critical to secure a lasting peace that prevents future aggression.” Negotiations are continuing, so the final language is still to be determined.

 

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