Sawt Falasteen - G7 allies and Zelensky meet on Ukraine invasion anniversary

The meeting, hosted by current G7 chair Japan, began at 9:10 am (1410 GMT) in Washington and ended at 10:38 am (1538 GMT), the White House said.

Ahead of the meeting, the United States announced a new $2 billion pledge of weaponry for Ukraine and sweeping measures to tighten sanctions against Russia, as well as new sanctions aimed at crippling the Russian war machine.

Japan's prime minister said the G7 would reiterate a call for other countries not to send military aid to Russia, which has occupied swaths of eastern and southern Ukraine, while failing in its original goal of toppling the pro-Western government and occupying the capital Kyiv.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida did not single out any nation, though Russia has used Iranian drones in Ukraine, and Washington has recently warned that Beijing is weighing supplying Moscow's war effort. China has denied those claims.

"In view of the military support for Russia by third countries that has been pointed out, the G7 intends to call for such support to cease," Kishida told reporters ahead of the online summit.

"What's important in today's meeting is for the G7 to remain united. In order to stop Russia's invasion, it is also important to reaffirm that we will continue with and strengthen our sanctions against Russia and support for Ukraine," he added.

The prime minister declined to be drawn on whether and when he might visit Kyiv.

He is the only G7 leader who has not yet travelled to the Ukrainian capital, with the Japanese government citing hurdles including security and keeping plans secret.

"We are continuing our reviews by taking into consideration various factors such as securing safety and maintaining secrecy. Nothing concrete has been decided, such as timing," Kishida said.

Zelensky participated in the summit and Japan is reportedly considering inviting him to join an in-person G7 summit in Hiroshima this May.

"As far as deciding which countries and organisations to invite for the G7 Hiroshima summit in May, we will make the decision as the G7 chair after consultations with relevant countries," Kishida said.

Japan this week announced it would offer Ukraine fresh financial support worth $5.5 billion.

As well as joining Western powers in imposing sanctions on Moscow, the nation has already provided Ukraine with financial support worth $600 million along with hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of emergency humanitarian assistance.

Japan has also taken the rare steps of sending defensive equipment and offering refuge to those fleeing the conflict.

It has not offered military support, however, because the nation's post-war constitution limits its military capacity to ostensibly defensive measures.

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H.Jarrar--SF-PST