The Group of Seven (G7) nations Sunday warned Russia that military aggression against Ukraine will have “massive consequences and severe cost.” Foreign ministers from the UK, the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan met for the second day in Liverpool, England, to discuss growing tensions with Russia, China and Iran. The G7 also includes a representative from the European Union.”We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the right of any sovereign state to determine its own future,” the G7 delegates said, according to a draft statement quoted by news agency Reuters.

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“We call on Russia to de-escalate, pursue diplomatic channels and abide by its international commitments on transparency of military activities,” the G7 said in the draft.

“We reconfirm our support for the efforts of France and Germany in the Normandy Format to achieve full implementation of the Minsk Agreements in order to resolve the conflict in eastern Ukraine,” the draft said.

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The US and its NATO allies have been pressing Russia to de-escalate tensions with Ukraine amid intelligence reports that Preside Vladimir Putin could be planning an offensive against Kyiv “as soon as early 2022” with up to 175,000 troops.

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Ukraine this week said the Russian troop buildup near its border is an attempt to “provoke return fire,” a concern also raised by US President Joe Biden during his video conference with Putin. Biden warned that Moscow would face “economic consequences like you’ve never seen” if it invades Ukraine.

The Kremlin said on Sunday that Putin assured Biden that Moscow didn’t plan to attack Ukraine, but emphasised that NATO’s possible expansion further east or deployment of weapons was a “red line.”

The West imposed sanctions on Russia after it seized the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said at a news conference Sunday the G7 was “considering all options” if such measures are required again.