US opposes labeling Russia an "aggressor"

The United States has objected to calling Russia an “aggressor” in a G7 statement on the Russia-Ukraine war.

The New York Times reported on February 21 that the United States has objected to calling Russia an “aggressor” in a statement being prepared by the G7 to mark the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The move comes after President Donald Trump’s recent statement blaming Ukraine for the war.

Canada, the current G7 president, released an initial draft that maintained its support for Ukraine. But the United States revised the draft to reflect its own position, removing any references that could be seen as biased toward Ukraine, and ultimately producing a statement that expresses a neutral stance on the issue.

The statement did not specify whether Russia was the aggressor or Ukraine was the victim. The ongoing talks will focus on how to characterize the war, and it avoids using phrases such as “Russian aggressor,” which have been used in previous G7 statements.