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A2 UP FRONT
Monday 27 June 2022
Continued from Front tin Trudeau chimed in: “A have an extensive discus-
In a pre-summit show of bare-chested horseback sion about oil price caps or
force, Russia launched its ride.” inflation, the official said.
first missile strikes against the Over the years, the Kremlin Other leaders echoed
Ukrainian capital in three has released several pho- Biden’s praise of coalition
weeks, striking at least two tos of the Russian leader in unity.
residential buildings, ac- which he appears shirtless. The head of the European
cording to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Biden and his counterparts Union’s council of govern-
Klitschko. were using the gathering ments said the 27-member
Biden condemned Russia’s to discuss how to secure bloc maintains “unwav-
actions as “more of their energy supplies and tackle ering unity” in backing
barbarism,” and stressed inflation triggered by the Ukraine against Russia’s
that allies need to remain war’s fallout. invasion with money and
firm even as the econom- The leaders also came to- political support, but that
ic reverberations from the gether on the new global “Ukraine needs more and
war take a toll around the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz with from left, Ursula von der infrastructure partnership we are committed to pro-
globe in inflation, food Leyen, President of the European Commission, Fumio Kishida, meant to provide an al- viding more.”
shortages and more. Prime Minister of Japan, Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Cana- ternative to Russian and European Council Presi-
“We have to stay togeth- da, U.S. President Joe Biden, Mario Draghi, Prime Minister of Italy Chinese investment in the dent Charles Michel said
er, because Putin has been and Charles Michel, President of the European Council, speaks developing world. One by EU governments were
and formally launches the global infrastructure partnership on
counting on, from the be- the margins of the G7 Summit in Elmau, Germany, Sunday, June one, the leaders stepped ready to supply “more mili-
ginning, that somehow 26, 2022. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) up to the microphone to tary support, more financial
NATO and the G-7 would discuss the partnership means, and more political
splinter, but we haven’t cy and is hosting the gath- son could be heard asking and their roles in it — with- support” to enable Ukraine
and we’re not going to,” ering. whether he should keep his out mentioning China by to defend itself and “curb
Biden said during a meet- As the G-7 leaders sat jacket on, adding, “We all name. Russia’s ability to wage
ing with German Chancel- down for their opening have to show that we’re Ukraine cast a shadow war.”
lor Olaf Scholz, who holds session, they took a light- tougher than Putin.” Ca- over the gathering, but the The EU has imposed six
the G-7′s rotating presiden- hearted jab at Putin. John- nadian Prime Minister Jus- leaders were determined rounds of sanctions against
to project resolve. Russia, the latest one be-
Scholz told Biden that the ing a ban on 90% of Russian
allies all managed “to stay crude oil imports by the
united, which obviously Pu- end of the year. The mea-
tin never expected.” sure is aimed at a pillar of
Biden said of Putin’s war: the Kremlin’s finances, its oil
“We can’t let this aggres- and gas revenues.
sion take the form it has Biden and the leaders of
and get away with it.” Britain, Canada, France,
Scholz, who has faced criti- Germany, Italy and Japan,
cism at home and abroad plus the EU, spent Sunday
for perceived reluctance in both formal and informal
to send Ukraine heavy settings discussing the war’s
weapons, said, “Germany effects on the global econ-
and the U.S. will always act omy, including inflation.
together when it comes to Biden said G-7 nations, in-
questions of Ukraine’s secu- cluding the United States,
rity.” will ban imports of gold
Johnson, for his part, urged from Russia. A formal an-
fellow leaders not to give nouncement was expect-
in to “fatigue.” He has ex- ed Tuesday as the leaders
pressed concern that divi- wind up their annual sum-
sions may emerge in the mit.
pro-Ukraine alliance as the Johnson said the ban will
four-month-old war grinds “directly hit Russian oli-
on. garchs and strike at the
Asked whether he thought heart of Putin’s war ma-
France and Germany were chine.” “Putin is squander-
doing enough, Johnson ing his dwindling resources
praised the “huge strides” on this pointless and bar-
made by Germany to arm baric war. He is bankrolling
Ukraine and cut imports his ego at the expense of
of Russian gas. He did not both the Ukrainian and Rus-
mention France. sian people,” Johnson said.
Biden and Scholz, in their “We need to starve the Pu-
pre-summit meeting, tin regime of its funding.”
agreed on the need for Gold, in recent years, has
a negotiated end to the been the top Russian ex-
Ukraine war, but did not port after energy — reach-
get into specifics on how ing almost $19 billion or
to achieve it, said a senior about 5% of global gold
Biden administration offi- exports, in 2020, according
cial, who requested ano- to the White House.
nymity to reveal details of a Of Russian gold exports,
private conversation. 90% was consigned to G-7
However, they did not countries. q