March 17, 2025
TOKYO – Negotiations on a ceasefire for the Ukraine war are unlikely to go smoothly. Unity among the Group of Seven countries has become essential to pressure Russia to make concessions.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has indicated his de facto rejection of the 30-day immediate ceasefire proposal to which the United States and Ukraine have agreed. At a press conference, Putin said a ceasefire should work to “eliminate the root causes of this crisis.”
This remark was apparently meant to demand that Ukraine abandon its bid to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and withdraw all its troops.
In response, U.S. President Donald Trump said, “It’ll be a very disappointing moment for the world” if Russia does not agree to the ceasefire.
The United States should increase pressure on Russia by strengthening sanctions against that country and boosting military support for Ukraine. It must not be hasty in trying to achieve an early ceasefire.
Amid these circumstances, the G7 foreign ministers held talks in Canada and issued a joint statement specifying “unwavering support” for Ukraine.
The G7 leaders stopped short of issuing a joint statement when they held a video conference last month. This was because the United States, which has increasingly leaned toward Russia, and European member states, which have placed importance on ensuring the security of Ukraine, were at odds over the wording of the statement.
In light of this, the fact that the G7 countries, including the United States, issued a joint statement this time can be viewed as a step forward. However, text directly condemning Russia’s aggression was not included in the statement.
The disunity between the United States and European countries will only benefit Russia. It is crucial for these countries to coordinate their thinking on how to ensure the security guarantees that Ukraine has sought to prevent Russia from launching future aggression after a ceasefire.
At the G7 meeting, Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya stressed that the resulting peace will affect the entire international order, including in the Indo-Pacific region, so the G7 countries must not allow the wrong lessons to be drawn.
If Russia’s aggression ends in success, China could grow more confident about achieving the unification of Taiwan by force. Such concern should be shared among all the G7 countries.
Japan has provided Ukraine with assistance worth a total of about $12 billion (about ¥1.8 trillion), mainly in civilian areas, such as power-generating equipment. This is said to be the largest amount after the United States, Germany, Britain and France.
Countries such as France and Britain are considering sending peacekeepers to Ukraine if a ceasefire is achieved in the country.
Japan has not conducted a major overseas dispatch of members of the Self-Defense Forces since an SDF engineering unit deployed to South Sudan was withdrawn in 2017. Making a human contribution to building peace is also likely to be an issue to consider.