The Italian Defense Minister has warned that competing world visions are making the global security framework increasingly unstable.
Defense ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) countries backed Ukraine’s “irreversible” path to NATO membership and expressed concern about threats to UN peacekeeping forces targeted by Israel in Lebanon.
The one-day meeting in Naples on Saturday will be the first G7 ministerial meeting dedicated to defense.
Italy will hold the rotating G7 presidency in 2024 as countries grapple with a variety of international issues, including Russia’s expansion into Ukraine, China’s military activities around Taiwan, and rising tensions along the northern and southern borders.
Italian Defense Minister Guido Crocet told reporters that the G7 alone cannot resolve global tensions, but that it is necessary to galvanize action from the entire international community.
“The G7 must be like a horsefly, strong enough to sting the world,” Prime Minister Abe said at a press conference.
In addition to Italy, G7 members include Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Representatives from NATO and the European Union, as well as Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, also participated in the talks.
In an earlier speech, Crossett warned of a “deterioration of security frameworks” around the world and said short-term predictions for conflict resolution “cannot be positive.”
He said tensions were rising due to conflict between “two different and possibly irreconcilable worldviews”.
In its final statement, the G7 supported Kiev’s “irreversible path to full Euro-Atlantic integration, including NATO membership.”
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said he was concerned about North Korea’s contribution to Russia’s war effort.
The G7 has also expressed concern about China’s support for Russia and Beijing’s recent military exercises around Taiwan, saying, It became clear that there was.”
The G7 meeting was held two days after Israel announced it had killed Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader who is believed to have masterminded the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. They retaliated with attacks.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Mr. Sinwar’s death in Gaza marked the “beginning of the end” of the war against Hamas, and US President Joe Biden said the door was open to “a path to peace.” He said that he was killed. But some analysts said Mr. Sinwar’s killing could lead to a deepening of Israel’s presence in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
The G7 joint declaration called for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of Israeli prisoners held by Hamas, saying attacks and retaliation risked “uncontrollable escalation in the Middle East.”
The EU’s chief diplomat, Josep Borrell, said Sinwar’s killing could increase the likelihood of an end to the conflict in Gaza and ultimately lead to greater humanitarian aid to the war-torn population.
He said the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, which was recently targeted by Israel in its conflict with Hezbollah, could be more effective, but it was up to the UN Security Council to decide on its future. He said that.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said he wanted Israel to scale back some of its attacks on Beirut, adding that Israel had told it had no intention of targeting U.N. peacekeepers in Lebanon.
Italy is a major contributor to the peacekeeping force, which is stationed in southern Lebanon to monitor fighting along the Israel-Lebanon border. The Israeli attack infuriated Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who visited Lebanon and Jordan on Friday.
