US seeks neutral wording in G7 declaration to avoid 'hindering negotiations' with Russia – NYT

The publication cited three top-officials in its article.

According to one of them, Canada, now holding the G7 presidency, initially circulated a draft statement among the other six member nations. This draft reportedly maintained a pro-Ukraine tone.

However, this week, US officials reviewed the draft and removed all references that could be interpreted as explicitly pro-Ukraine, the official said. As a result, the revised draft no longer mentions Russia as the aggressor or Ukraine as the victim of the invasion.

Officials from President Donald Trump’s administration indicated that they wanted to ensure the statement will not obstruct the ongoing negotiations with Russia, sources said.

One official added that the US also sought to remove references describing the invasion as a violation of sovereignty.

Diplomats are still working on the final wording. Now draft reportedly describes a “devastating war that began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine” but omits terms like “Russian aggression” or “aggressors,” which had been included in G7 statements since 2022, according to senior German and European officials.

A senior official from a G7 nation, speaking anonymously, noted that discussions over the draft could continue until Feb. 24, when the final statement is scheduled for release.

Additionally, it remains undecided whether G7 leaders, who will meet virtually on Feb. 24, will invite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to participate, as it was last year, the official said.

The draft still mentions that strong security guarantees and Ukraine’s integration into the EU will be “critical to ensuring lasting peace that prevents future aggression,” NYT reported.

Earlier, the Financial Times also reported that the US opposed mentioning Russia as the aggressor in the G7 statement marking the third anniversary of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.