Ukraine tops agenda as G7 parliament speakers meet in Berlin

The parliamentary speakers of the G7 nations were meeting in Berlin on Friday, with Russia's invasion of Ukraineat the top of the agenda.

Ruslan Stefanchuk, Chairman of Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, gave a speech as a special guest. The summit came as Ukraine hopes to turn recent military gains into sustained momentum to end the war and push Russian troops from its territory.

 "The situation on the front lines has changed now, thanks to our army, but also thanks to the weapons we have received," said have received," Stefanchuk said Friday. "That is why we need new, modern weapons." 

"The people of Ukraine are defending not only their democracy, but all of ours, so it is a a small price to pay," said Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the US House of Representatives. "Of course we are concerned about concerned about high energy prices, but these people are risking their lives." 

Washington has been adament in recent weeks that allies not get aid fatigue at this critical juncturefor Ukraine. As Speaker of the House of Representatives, Pelosi presides over military aid approval.

She also spoke of providing substantial security assistance to Ukraine, humanitarian and economic aid, and "sanctions, sanctions, sanctions" that would have to hurt Russia.

Bärbel Bas, president of Germany's Bundestag, said Russia's President Vladimir Putin was waging a war against all the liberal democracies of the West and was ruining his own country in the process. "And this is a fight that he will not win," she said. 

Pelosi to meet with Scholz

Later in the day, Pelosi was set to meet separately with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The pair were expected to discuss the situation in Ukraine as well as the energy and cost of living crises energy and cost of living crisesspurred by the war.

The day was scheduled to be closed out by a joint statement from Pelosi and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock ahead of an official dinner hosted by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

es/kb (AP, dpa)

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