BRUSSELS
Leaders of the world’s leading industrialized countries minus Russia are meeting in Brussels for a Group of Seven summit to discuss the situation in Ukraine and the relations with Moscow.
The two-day summit, which started on Wednesday, was previously planned to be held in Russian Black Sea resort city of Sochi on the same days in the original G8 format.
Citing Russia’s violation of Ukraine's sovereignty following the political crisis that engulfed Kiev since last November, the G7 leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the U.K. and the U.S. as well as the EU decided to meet in Brussels instead, excluding Russia.
“Ukraine will top the agenda. It will be an important moment to take stock of the latest developments in and around Ukraine and to continue to work together to meet this and other challenges of our times,” European Council President Herman Van Rompuy said on the eve of the summit.
Following the outbreak of the Ukraine crisis, the G7 have issued several declarations condemning Russia for violating Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
In the latest statement on April 26, the G7 leaders expressed “deep concern at the continued efforts by separatists backed by Russia to destabilize eastern Ukraine.”
The summit is expected to discuss relations with the new Ukrainian leadership which came to power following the presidential election on May 25.
Pro-EU businessman and politician Petro Poroshenko claimed a landslide victory in the election with 56 percent of the vote.
Besides the situation in Ukraine and relations with Russia, the summit is also expected to see discussion of other foreign policy issues, the global economy, energy, climate change and development.
www.aa.com.tr/en
