The 48th G7 summit will take place from June 26th to 28th, 2022 in Schloss Elmau, a five-star hotel above the village of Klais in the Wetterstein mountains. Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz is the host. Numerous demos are planned around the summit. Today is the last summit day. FOCUS Online reports in the Newsticker.
3:08 p.m .: According to Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, Russian President Vladimir Putin will not personally travel to Indonesia for the G20 summit in the fall. The Indonesian President Joko Widodo, as the host of the G20 meeting, said that clearly, Draghi reported on Tuesday after the G7 summit in Bavaria, which Widodo attended as a guest at times. “Widodo rules that out and was categorical about it. He (Putin) will not come.” It is unclear whether the Kremlin chief wants to take part in the G20 summit via video link. “We’ll see what will happen,” Draghi said.
According to the state news agency TASS, Putin’s foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov said on Monday that Putin wanted to take part in the summit in mid-November on the Indonesian island of Bali. Indonesian President Widodo confirmed Putin’s participation at the end of April. It was therefore recently unclear how the western countries would react to this.
1.10 p.m .: The conference ends with a rumble of thunder.
1:09 p.m .: Rain threatens, the press conference comes to an end. In addition to financial and humanitarian efforts, isn’t a diplomatic offensive needed to end the war? After all, Zelenskyy wants the war to end by winter. “Russia is continuing the war with unchanged brutality. There’s no end in sight, it’s depressing,” says Scholz.
“That’s why it’s important that we keep up the pressure so that an end is possible and Russia understands that it cannot enforce a dictated peace.” In all talks it must be made clear that the war must end. “All the sanctions we imposed for the annexation of Crimea and the situation in Donbass are still in place.”
1:05 p.m .: Now it’s about Ukraine. “The image of the Marshall Plan is not exaggerated,” he says. It will take many decades for Ukraine to be rebuilt. A self-contained concept must be created in order to cope with this huge task. Many actors would also have to be involved, for example scientists and banks.
1:03 p.m .: Again the topic of energy: The climate club will become a working structure. “It won’t be an abstract concept,” says Scholz. The club will not be limited to just the G7.
1:01 p.m .: How will Germany behave when it comes to the question of the combustion engine? “The benchmark for us is the coalition agreement,” says the Chancellor. After 2035, the approval of e-fuels should be made possible. That’s what the government suggested to the EU institutions. Proposals are currently being developed within the EU framework. “Therefore, interim figures make no sense,” he says. However, unity will be demonstrated.
12:57 p.m .: The G7 have committed themselves to the security guarantees for Ukraine even after the war. “Could you specify what guarantees these are?” asks a journalist. “Yes,” says Scholz. “I could.” Then silence. “That’s it,” smiles the Chancellor. The journalists laugh.
12.55 p.m .: Will Germany provide a Rapid Force for the United Nations? “What we have in mind is that we will also do the part that Germany should do,” he says. However, he did not want to anticipate any decisions.
12:52 p.m .: “We agree on where we don’t want to be in the future: namely with gas,” says Scholz. However, the raw material is needed temporarily, which is why corresponding investments make sense. These plans are embedded in the goals of the Parisian climate agreement.
12:47 p.m .: Will the G7 attend the G20 summit in Indonesia, which will also be attended by Russian President Putin? “There was great agreement that we don’t want to break up the G20,” he says. That’s why we will take part. “It’s important that we give it a good drive.”
12.45 p.m .: Were there any new ideas on how to contain the war? “Ukraine took up a lot of our advice, rightly so. This is not just a war in Europe, but a threat to the whole world. We have increased many things again when it comes to financial and humanitarian support as well as sanctions and arms deliveries,” explains Scholz when asked by a journalist.
12:42 p.m.: The question and answer session begins on the lawn where the beanbag conference will be held. How did Scholz perform at the G7 summit? “That was a good discussion. I was glad that I could make a contribution to this,” says Scholz.
12.42 p.m .: The end of the German G7 presidency is not over yet. In this important year we will get together more often.
12:39 p.m.: “I believe that these summits are of the utmost importance. You don’t get much out of video conferences where heads of government read out their statements,” says Scholz. The personal exchange cannot be surpassed. Finally, the Chancellor thanks the employees of Schloss Elmau, the police officers and the fire brigade as well as the residents of Garmisch -sponsored churches.
12:37 p.m .: In terms of energy, they want to become more independent. “Price increases and inflation can undermine confidence in politics,” adds Scholz. Now he comes to the G7 climate club. This should be established by the end of the year. “We need more ambition to achieve the climate goals,” said the Chancellor. The climate club should ensure this. Energy partnerships will be established with different countries such as South Africa, Senegal, Indonesia and India.
12.35 p.m .: Now the Chancellor is talking about the impending global famine in view of the blocked grain exports. Grain and fertilizers stored in Ukraine are to be made available to the world.
12:34 p.m .: The G7 want to continue to support Ukraine not only financially, but also militarily. The focus is also on rebuilding the country. “We need a Marshall Plan for Ukraine,” says Scholz. This still has to be developed.
12:32 p.m .: “We are demonstrating the great power of democratic alliances,” says Scholz. An important message is that the G7 support Ukraine together. “We will drive up the financial costs of Putin’s war,” says Scholz.
12.30 p.m .: The attack on a shopping center in Kremenchuk would have shown the merciless violence of Russia. They want to offer Ukraine a perspective for the future. “We have a period of uncertainty ahead of us,” says Scholz. It is all the more important to have allies and friends in the world. That’s exactly what he noticed at the summit in Elmau – even at informal meetings.
12:29 p.m .: Olaf Scholz starts. “Three intensive and constructive days are now behind us,” he sums up. It was an important summit that showed the unity and determination of the states against Russia.
12:24 p.m .: A little later than planned, the Chancellor is now marching to the podium. It should start right away.
12.01 p.m .: At 12.15 p.m. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) will step in front of the camera and make a statement on the last working session. As has already been leaked, there should be a G7-led construction program for Ukraine.
11:55 a.m .: US President Joe Biden has meanwhile left the G7 summit earlier than planned. Reason is bad weather. The head of state is now on his way to Madrid, where he will take part in the NATO summit.
10.35 a.m .: Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) met again with US President Joe Biden on Tuesday at the start of the final day of the G7 summit in Elmau, Bavaria. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi also took part in a round of talks ahead of the last working session on Tuesday.
According to the White House, Biden wanted to travel to Madrid immediately after the NATO summit. The NATO summit will take place in the Spanish capital on Wednesday and Thursday. Spain’s King Felipe invites the alliance’s heads of state and government to a gala dinner on Tuesday evening. Scholz and other participants in the G7 summit are also expected in Madrid.
9:39 a.m .: According to the US government, the G7 countries will commit to providing up to five billion US dollars for global food security. More than half of that amount will come from the United States, a senior US official said Tuesday at the G7 summit in Bavaria.
7.40 p.m .: The leading democratic economic powers have promised Ukraine financial aid of up to 29.5 billion US dollars (around 28 billion euros) for this year. According to a paper published on Monday by the G7 countries, the country wants to support the country in closing its financing gap and guaranteeing services of general interest for the population. It remains unclear whether it is a grant or a loan.
At a meeting of the G7 finance ministers at the end of May on the Petersberg near Bonn, a sum of 19.8 billion dollars was still in the room. This also includes money that has already been paid since the beginning of the year.
The funds are intended to help maintain basic government services in the war-torn country, such as paying pensions and the salaries of government employees. Ukraine had asked for around 5 billion euros each for three months. After the three months, further support could be necessary, it was said at the time.
6:01 p.m .: “It’s good that we have friends and allies in this world,” Scholz concludes his statement. That was short and sweet …
6 p.m.: “As the G7, we agree that this war will shape relations with Russia for a long time. There can be no going back to how it was before the war.”
5:59 p.m .: The Ukrainian President made it clear that the support will be necessary for a long time, according to Scholz. “This war is a deep, deep cut in international relations.”
5:58 p.m .: He is happy that the five partner countries were there today. “It makes collaboration easier. We spoke to each other very openly and constructively.”
5:58 p.m .: But now. Scholz is there and speaks.
5:54 p.m .: Now you are asked to go back inside. Lots of exercise.
5:50 p.m.: Dare to go outside, it’s starting any minute here.
5.46 p.m .: “Va bene, va bene”: The Italian delegation sets the tone: we can start.
5.43 p.m .: That was just a short “Let’s see what’s going on”, apparently. It’s not raining yet, but the severe weather warning is still in effect.
5:36 p.m .: Or not? Waiting again.
5.35 p.m .: It starts, the Chancellor is there. In a good mood despite the weather.
5:13 p.m .: According to the Federal Press Office, it is still unclear when exactly this will continue. The weather is thwarting the plans.
5:08 p.m .: The statement is delayed somewhat because there is a storm warning for Elmau. The TV crews have to clear their stands.
5 p.m.: Chancellor Olaf Scholz immediately commented on the deliberations on the second day of the summit. FOCUS Online reports live.
4:04 p.m .: Sausage, cheese, drinks, gingerbread heart and a few Schafkopf cards: US President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson or French President Emmanuel Macron can go hiking with a classic Bavarian backpack in the future. At the G7 summit in Schloss Elmau, the state government gave away retro-chic hiking backpacks with Bavarian specialties to the participants. “Bavaria should be remembered well,” said Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) on Instagram.
A spokesman said on Monday that the backpacks will be given to an “exclusive circle” of the summit participants, i.e. the G7 heads of state and government and their partners. The meeting in the Bavarian Alps goes until Tuesday.
3:02 p.m.: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has compared support for Ukraine in the war against Russia to fighting Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler. The price for freedom is worth paying, Johnson told the BBC on Monday on the sidelines of the G7 summit at Schloss Elmau.
It took democracies a long time to find an answer to tyranny and aggression in the mid-20th century, and it was very expensive. “But with the defeat of the dictators, most notably Nazi Germany, it brought many decades of stability, a world order based on a rules-based international system,” Johnson said. “It’s worth protecting, it’s worth defending, it brings long-term prosperity.”
Britain must be prepared to stand by Ukraine in the fight against Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin’s aggression, regardless of the cost, the prime minister said. “Imagine if we were to allow Putin to get away with taking over by force large parts of another country, a sovereign, independent territory,” Johnson said. “The lessons from this would be absolutely terrifying in any country of the former Soviet Union.”
2:45 p.m .: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on the G7 group to tighten sanctions against Russia and cap prices for Russian oil. “For us, it is important for the G7 countries to have a unified position on the sanctions,” Zelenskyy wrote in the Telegram online service on Monday. The punitive measures would have to be further tightened “by limiting the prices for oil that the aggressor exports”.
About a week ago, it became known that the United States was negotiating a price cap for oil with friendly countries in order to limit Russia’s oil export revenues. US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said it was about stepping up sanctions on Russia and driving down the price of oil. In this way, more oil could reach the international market.
Progress was made on the project at the G7 summit on Monday. The G7 group is in the “final consultations” on this topic, it said. However, the implementation of this measure is considered to be extremely difficult.
The USA and Canada had already stopped all Russian oil imports because of the war of aggression. However, they are also significantly less dependent on Russian supplies than some countries in Europe.
10:31 a.m .: According to US information, the G7 countries want to impose new sanctions on the Russian defense industry. The G7 heads of state and government have agreed on “targeted sanctions” to further restrict Russia’s access to Western technology, the White House said on Monday on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Schloss Elmau. They also agreed to pass on revenue from increased tariffs on Russian exports to Ukraine as financial aid.
New tariffs on Russian goods should be used “to help Ukraine and ensure Russia pays the price for its war,” the US government said. According to the information, there is also progress on the US plan to impose a global price cap on the purchase of Russian oil. The G7 group is in the “final consultations” on this topic.
The heads of state and government of the G7 group began their deliberations on the second day of the summit in the morning. The first item on the program was a two-hour exchange on the war in Ukraine. For this purpose, the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj was connected to the summit via video link.
Zelenskyy said in a video message on Sunday evening that the G7 had sufficient opportunities to “stop Russian aggression”. In particular, he called on the G7 countries to deliver more weapons to his country more quickly.
“We need a strong air defense system” that protects against Russian missile attacks, the president said. “The partners have to move faster if they are really partners.” Delays in arms deliveries are “an invitation to Russia to strike again and again”. Zelenskyy In addition to further financial aid, he also called for increasing the pressure on Russia through new sanctions .
You can read more about the G7 summit in Elmau on the following pages.
