(VOVWORLD) - Defense ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) on Saturday backed Ukraine's path to NATO membership and expressed concern over threats to United Nations peacekeepers targeted by Israel in Lebanon.
 The first day of the G7 Defense Ministers meeting in Naples, Italy October 19, 2024. (Photo: Reuters) |
The first ever gathering of G7 defence ministers took place as Israel and Lebanese armed group Hezbollah exchanged fire, with one drone directed at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's holiday home, according to his spokesperson.
Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, who hosted the meeting in the southern city of Naples, told reporters the G7 could not solve global tensions alone, but needed to stimulate action across the international community.
Along with Italy, the G7 includes the United States, Canada, France, Germany and Britain.
Representatives of NATO, the European Union and the Ukrainian defense minister Rustem Umerov also joined the talks.
In an earlier speech to kick off the meeting, Crosetto warned of a "deteriorated security framework" across the world and said near-term forecasts for conflict resolution "cannot be positive".
In its final statement, the G7 backed Kyiv's "irreversible path to full Euro-Atlantic integration, including NATO membership".
The G7 joint declaration called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the release of Israeli hostages still held by Hamas, saying attacks and retaliation risked "fuelling uncontrollable escalation in the Middle East".
The EU's chief diplomat Josep Borrell said Thursday's killing of former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar could raise the chances of an end to the conflict in Gaza, finally allowing more humanitarian support for the war-battered population.
He said the U.N. mission in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL which was recently targeted by Israel in its conflict against Hezbollah, could be made more effective but it would be up to the UN Security Council to make decisions on its future.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he would like Israel to scale back some of its strikes on Beirut and added that Israel had told him it had no intent to target UNIFIL in Lebanon.