Joint Statement from the Chairs of the Foreign Affairs Committees of the G7 Member States on Russia-Ukraine

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today joined  his counterparts from the United Kingdom, Canada, the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan in issuing the following joint statement regarding the growing threats to the peace, security and territorial integrity of Ukraine:

“We, the chairpersons of the parliamentary foreign and international affairs committees of the G7, are deeply concerned about persistent tensions involving Russia and Ukraine and threats to the peace, security and territorial integrity of Ukraine. We strongly condemn any attempt by any country to change the status quo by coercion or the threat of force.

“We urge the Government of Russia to exercise the utmost restraint and to abstain from the exercise of military action or operations in or against Ukraine. Any further invasion by Russia of Ukraine must be met by swift and severe sanctions.

“We also urge the Government of Russia to avoid all initiatives aimed at the acknowledgment of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic, which would imply a very serious violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

“We call on the international community, our governments, the Government of Russia and the Government of Ukraine to continue to engage in dialogue and to use all diplomatic options to arrive at a peaceful resolution of this crisis.”

The joint statement was signed by: