President Barack Obama’s presence at the Group of Seven (G7) summit of world leaders culminated in a public speech, in which he promised that fighting Russian aggression would be a top priority for him.
The speech took place at Kruen, the Bavarian village in the Alps, which is host to the G7 summit and protected by 17,000 officers. Specifically, Obama directed his remarks at continued Russian aggression in Ukraine and, like other leaders, generally avoided discussion of Crimea.
“We think that there can be a peaceful, diplomatic resolution to this problem, but it’s going to require that Europe, the United States and the Transatlantic Partnership, as well as the world, stay vigilant and stay focused on the importance of upholding the principles of territorial integrity and sovereignty,” Obama said, according to CNN.
A key theme emerging from the Schloss Elmau hotel is that leaders want more than anything to hold Russia at bay in the form of renewed sanctions, a view shared by British Prime Minister David Cameron and European Council President Donald Tusk.
For Tusk, the only point in discussing sanctions is to consider boosting the penalties directed at the Russian economy.
Sanctions up to this point have failed to deter Russian incursions, despite making a dent in its economy. Both Ukraine and Russia have abided by a ceasefire agreement since March, though it has been punctuated by minor violations and threatened by Russia’s decision to amass military equipment near the border. (RELATED: Putin Signs Order Making Secret Deaths Of Russian Soldiers Engaged In Special Ops)
Russia has strenuously denied that it’s sending any troops or equipment across the border. The Kremlin maintains that any troops spotted are nothing more than volunteers on their own accord.
“Russia has not changed its behavior,” Heather Conley, director of the Europe program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told CNN. “If anything, President Putin I think is doubling down on multiple fronts. And the cohesiveness feels like it’s not there.”
For the White House, sanctions should continue until Russia fully implements the Minsk agreement and abides by Ukraine’s sovereignty. After considerable negotiation, Russia and Ukraine first agreed to the Minsk agreement last September, which establishes an ongoing ceasefire and 30km buffer.
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