WEISSENHAUS, Germany - Group of Seven foreign ministers pledged on May 14 to strengthen Russia's economic and political isolation, continue supplying weapons to Ukraine and tackle what Germany's foreign minister described as a wheat war waged by Moscow.
After meeting in the Baltic Sea resort of Weissenhaus, senior diplomats from Britain, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Japan and the European Union pledged to continue their military and defence assistance for as long as necessary. They also called Russian misinformation aimed at blaming the West for food supply issues around the world due to economic sanctions on Moscow, and urging China not to aid Moscow or justify Russia's war, according to a joint statement.
Have we done enough to mitigate the consequences of this war? Germany's foreign minister Annalena Baerbock said that it was a war by the president of Russia, but we have global responsibility.
The Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, a close ally of Vladimir Putin, dismissed the meeting, especially the group's insistence that the integrity of Ukraine's internationally recognised borders be recognised.
Let's put it mildly: our country does not care about the G 7 not recognising the new borders. In an online post, he said that the true will of the people living there is important. Russian forces control large parts of eastern Ukraine.
There is a chance that Russian oil will be banned in EU member states next week, even if it is opposed by Hungary, as a way to put more pressure on the issue.
The ministers said they would add further sanctions on Russian elites, including economic actors, central government institutions and military, to allow Putin to lead his war of choice. The foreign ministers of Ukraine and Moldova attended the meeting and highlighted the food security concerns and fears that the war could spill over into its smaller neighbour, Moldova.
People are dying in Africa and the Middle East and we are faced with an urgent question: how can people be fed around the world? Baerbock said people are asking themselves what will happen if we don't have the grain we used to get from Russia and Ukraine.
She said that the G 7 would work on finding logistical solutions to get vital commodities out of Ukraine storage before the next harvests.
As ministers meet later on Saturday with Sweden and Finland gearing up to apply for membership of the transatlantic alliance, the attention turns to Berlin, with threats of retaliation from Moscow and objections from NATO member Turkey.
Canada's foreign minister, Melanie Joly, told reporters that it is important that we have a consensus.
Putin calls the invasion a special military operation to disarm Ukraine and rid it of anti-Russian nationalism fomented by the West. Ukraine and its allies say Russia has launched an unprovoked war.
Josep Borrell, EU Foreign Policy chief, told reporters more of the same. There is a missing thing that is missing is a diplomatic engagement to get a ceasefire. It is missing because Vladimir Putin has been saying to everyone that he doesn't want to stop the war.