The G7 Foreign Ministers and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy have condemned Russia's statement on holding fictitious referenda and promise to continue further targeted sanctions against Russia.

“The G7 Foreign Ministers and the High Representative strongly condemned Russia’s announcement to conduct sham referenda on sovereign Ukrainian territory, which is temporarily under Russian control. Any referenda held under conditions of Russian military presence, intimidation, and forced deportation cannot be free or fair,” German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said in a statement as chair of the G7 meeting of Foreign Ministers.

The Ministers stressed that any annexation of Ukrainian territory would be a gross violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and the UN Charter. They called on all States to unequivocally condemn any referendums and not recognize their results.

“The G7 will also pursue further targeted sanctions and are committed to sustained economic and political pressure on Russia,” the statement reads.

The G7 foreign ministers expressed regret over Russia's deliberate escalation steps, including partial mobilization of reservists and irresponsible nuclear rhetoric.

“Russia must immediately stop its aggression, withdraw its troops and military equipment from Ukraine and respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and the territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders. The G7 further called on Russia to immediately cease its filtration operations and forced deportations of Ukrainian civilians to Russia,” the document says.

The G7 Foreign Ministers and the High Representative expressed deep concern over the latest reports of atrocities committed in the recently liberated parts of Ukraine by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, including, in particular, reports of numerous graves, crime scenes and torture sites in the town of Izium and in Kharkiv region.

“The G7 Foreign Ministers and the High Representative agreed that the swift and thorough preservation of evidence on the ground is of utmost importance in order to hold the perpetrators accountable for crimes committed. Ukraine can rely on the support of the G7 in this regard,” they assured.

In addition, the G7 Foreign Ministers and the High Representative reaffirmed Ukraine's legitimate right to defend itself from Russia's ongoing, unprovoked and unjustified aggressive war in order to regain full control over its territory within its internationally recognized borders. They welcomed the courage and success of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the current counteroffensive, which allowed them to liberate large areas of Ukraine's territory from Russian control.

“The G7 Foreign Ministers and the High Representative were unanimous in their unwavering commitment to continue and sustain economic, financial, humanitarian, military and diplomatic support for Ukraine for as long as necessary and to the extent necessary, to ensure Ukraine’s path to freedom, peace, reconstruction and economic development,” the foreign ministers stated.