UK urges G7 to expand sanctions on Russia

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss also called for Ukraine to have easier access to Nato-standard equipment

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said Russian President Vladimir Putin is 'humiliating himself on the international stage'. PA

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UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has pushed allies to agree to further waves of sanctions against Russia to “constrain further aggression” as she met G7 foreign ministers in Germany.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is “humiliating himself”, she said, as she repeated calls to increase support for Ukraine.

She also called for Ukraine to have easier access to more advanced equipment as it defends itself against Russia.

“Putin is humiliating himself on the world stage. We must ensure he faces a defeat in Ukraine that denies him any benefit and ultimately constrains further aggression,” Ms Truss said.

“The best long-term security for Ukraine will come from it being able to defend itself. That means providing Ukraine with a clear pathway to Nato-standard equipment."

Russian Navy logistics support ship the 'Vsevolod Bobrov', pictured off Istanbul in January, has reportedly caught fire after a Ukrainian airstrike in the Black Sea. Reuters

A mother and child who fled Ukraine arrive back in Kyiv from Poland. The daily number returning has exceeded those leaving for the first time since the February invasion. AFP

A Ukrainian tank - with a soldier in it - is carried by a transporter near Bakhmut. AFP

A metro station used as a bomb shelter in Kharkiv, Ukraine. AFP

Rocket trails in the sky over Pylypchatyne, eastern Ukraine. AFP

A special session of the UN Human Rights Council on Ukraine is held in Geneva, Switzerland. AFP

Burnt vehicles and the remains of what appears to be a makeshift bridge across the Siverskyi Donets River in eastern Ukraine. Reuters

Protesters outside a special session of the UN Human Rights Council on the war in Ukraine, in Geneva. Inside, Ukrainians lambasted the 'sheer horror' and 'pure evil' being inflicted on their country by Russian forces. AFP

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting on economic issues via a video link in Moscow. AFP

An explosion at the Azovstal steel works in Mariupol, Ukraine. Reuters

Players walk onto the pitch before a benefit football match between Borussia Moenchengladbach and the national team of Ukraine at Borussia-Park in Moenchengladbach, Germany. EPA

Russian service members atop an armoured vehicle in Mariupol. Reuters

The Kalush Orchestra from Ukraine perform at the Eurovision Village in Turin, Italy. AP Photo

Borussia Moenchengladbach fans and Ukraine supporters stand united ahead of the benefit football match between Borussia Moenchengladbach and the national team of Ukraine. EPA

Children gather at a playground in Mariupol. Reuters

Three Ukrainian policemen stand at an explosion site in Novomykolaivka, eastern Ukraine. AFP

The Iron Spear 2022 military exercise led by Nato-enhanced Forward Presence battlegroup in Adazi, Latvia, on May 11. Reuters / Ints Kalnins

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Finnish President Sauli Niinisto shake hands in Helsinki, Finland, after signing a declaration between the UK and Finland to deepen their defence and security co-operation. Reuters

Russian paratroopers go on the attack in Ukraine's Kharkiv region. EPA

During Thursday's meeting, Ms Truss also encouraged other ministers to commit to further waves of sanctions for as long as Russian troops stay in Ukraine, the Foreign Office said.

The G7 foreign ministers will be joined by the Ukrainian and Moldovan foreign ministers at another meeting in Schleswig-Holstein on Friday, where they will discuss Ukraine.

The Foreign Office added that Ms Truss will travel to Berlin on Saturday to meet Nato foreign ministers and will push for a “strengthened and modernised” version of the western military alliance.

Her comments follow an announcement from Finland's leaders that they now support the country joining Nato. The announcement came less than 24 hours after Finland signing a historic security pact with the UK.

Finland has previously opted to stay neutral and keep out of Nato for fear of antagonising Russia but public support for joining the alliance has grown in the country since Mr Putin began his attack on Ukraine in February.

On Thursday, Russia threatened retaliation over the move. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “The expansion of Nato and the approach of the alliance to our borders does not make the world and our continent more stable and secure.”

Finland shares an over 1330-kilometre land border with Russia, with St Petersburg only a few hours’ drive from the divide.

On Wednesday, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson agreed to “mutual security assurances” with both Sweden and Finland, through which British troops could be sent to Nordic nations in the event of a Russian invasion.