The Latest | Italy hosts the Group of Seven summit with global conflicts on the agenda

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Italy is hosting the summit of the Group of Seven industrialized nations in the wake of the European Parliament election that saw a surge in support for the far right in places like G7 members France and Germany The Latest | Italy hosts the Group of Seven summit with global conflicts on the agenda BORGO EGNAZIA, Italy -- Italy is hosting the summit of the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations in the wake of the European Parliament election, which saw a surge in support for the far right in places like G7 members France and Germany. Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni also leads a far-right party but continues to hew to the center, particularly on foreign policy, which has made her a reassuring transatlantic partner amid Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. The G7 summit through Saturday is focusing on global conflicts, the spread of artificial intelligence and on Africa issues, particularly Italy’s longstanding concern about uncontrolled migration to Europe from the continent. Perennial issues such as climate change and China also will be discussed. The G7 is an informal forum with an annual summit to discuss economic policy and security issues. The members are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. Currently: — Italian Premier Meloni opens G7 summit with agreement to back a $50 billion loan to Ukraine — In Italy’s Puglia region, women take the lead in challenging the local mafia at great personal risk — US pushes for Ukraine aid, united front against China’s trade practices at G7 finance meeting Here's the latest: BORGO EGNAZIA, Italy — U.S. President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a security agreement on Thursday during the Group of Seven summit, sending what they described as a message of unified opposition to Russian President Vladimir Putin. “He cannot wait us out,” Biden said. “He cannot divide us.” Zelenskyy said the agreement demonstrated the “credibility of American support for our Ukrainian independence.” Ukraine has been eager for fresh assistance to hold the line against Russia, which has recently made gains on the battlefield during a bloody war that’s in its third year. BORGO EGNAZIA, Italy – French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday deplored that there was no reference to abortion in the final document of the Group of Seven leaders. “I regret this,” he said, answering a question from an Italian reporter on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit. France “has included women’s right to abortion, the freedom of decision on one’s own body, into its Constitution,” he said, adding France defends “this vision of equality between women and men.” “It’s not a vision that’s shared across all the political spectrum,” Macron told the Italian reporter. “I regret it, but I respect it because it was the sovereign choice of your people." BORGO EGNAZIA, Italy — European Council President Ursula von der Leyen is praising the agreement reached on guaranteeing a $50 billion loan to Ukraine using profits from frozen Russian central bank assets held in Europe. Speaking on the sidelines of a Group of Seven summit Thursday, von der Leyen said it sends a message to Ukraine but also to Russian President Vladimir Putin. “It is a strong signal that we are sending to Ukraine that we will support Ukraine in its fight for freedom for as long as it takes," she said. “It is also a strong signal to Putin that Putin cannot outlast us.” Leaders reached agreement on the loan deal as the summit opened. BARI, Italy — The leaders of Ukraine and Japan have signed a 10-year agreement under which Japan will provide assistance in the fields of security, defense, humanitarian aid, reconstruction and technical and financial support. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio signed the accord on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in southern Italy on Thursday. Zelenskyy said Japan would provide $4.5 billion for Ukraine this year. A text of the deal released by the Japanese Embassy in Italy said Japan has committed and provided more than $12 billion in financial, humanitarian and other assistance since March 2022. Under the agreement, Japan will support Ukraine with the provision of non-lethal equipment and goods, cooperate in the field of intelligence and provide support in reconstruction and recovery, as well as providing assistance in the medical and health fields, among others. “For Japan, this type of agreement and this level of support is a breakthrough,” Zelenskyy wrote on the social media platform X. “We see this and thank Japan for its unwavering solidarity with our country and people.” BARI, Italy — Italy’s center-left opposition is crying foul over reported attempts by Premier Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing government to water down a reference to abortion in the final document of the Group of Seven leaders. The ANSA news agency, citing a draft Thursday, said there was no reference at all to abortion. That stands in contrast to the 2023 G7 summit in Hiroshima where Japan expressed a commitment to provide access to safe and legal abortion to women and girls, and pledged to defend gender equality and rights of LGBTQ+ people. According to ANSA, this year’s text says the G7 “repeats our commitment expressed in the final communique of the G7 of Hiroshima for a universal, adequate and sustainable access to health services for women, including the right to reproduction.” Meloni, who campaigned on a “God, Faith and Fatherland” motto, has denied she is rolling back abortion rights, which have been legal in Italy since 1978. But the center-left opposition has warned that her initiatives are chipping away at those rights, including by giving pro-life groups access to women considering abortions. In a statement Thursday, the head of the Democratic Party Elly Shlein said the reported G7 text was a “national embarrassment” for putting into question a fundamental right for women. Asked about the controversy, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said he wasn’t aware of the status of negotiations but said U.S. President Joe Biden “doesn’t change up his message based on who he’s talking to, and nothing about that will change today.” Meloni has forged a good alliance with Pope Francis, especially on their shared opposition to surrogacy and call for Italian women to have more babies to counteract one of the world’s lowest birthrates. Francis will become the first pope to address a G7 summit when he spends the afternoon in Puglia on Friday. BERLIN — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has hailed as a “historic step” a deal by the Group of Seven leaders to lend $50 billion to Ukraine from the proceeds of frozen Russian assets. Scholz called the deal “a very strong commitment" which also gives Ukrainians "the courage to do what is now necessary for them to defend their independence and sovereignty.” He told reporters on the first day of the three-day G7 summit in Italy that the agreement is also “a clear signal to the Russian president that he cannot simply take advantage of a situation and hope that he will succeed in winning this war” because some countries supporting Ukraine are now facing fiscal problems. Scholz also said that the leaders at the summit endorsed U.S. President Joe Biden’s peace plan for the war in the Middle East. The German Chancellor said “now it is important that everyone implements it” and called on Hamas "to give the necessary approval so that this can now work.” BORGO EGNAZIA, Italy — The United States and European countries have agreed to lock up sanctioned Russian assets until Moscow pays reparations for invading Ukraine, a senior U.S. official said Thursday. The consensus clears the way for leaders to announce a $50 billion loan package for Ukraine during the Group of Seven summit that began Thursday in Italy. The highly anticipated agreement will leverage interest and income from the more than $260 billion in frozen Russian assets, largely held in Europe, to secure a $50 billion loan from the U.S. along with additional loans from other partners. The first disbursements will be made this year, the official said, adding that it will take time for Ukraine to use all the money. The U.S. official spoke on the condition of anonymity to preview the agreement, which will be included in the G7 leaders’ statement on Friday. President Joe Biden will meet on Thursday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss a bilateral security agreement between the U.S. and Ukraine. -By Colleen Long, Darlene Superville and Zeke Miller LONDON — Britain has announced new sanctions designed to degrade Russia’s ability to wage war in Ukraine, targeting entities based in China, Israel, Kyrgyzstan and Turkey, as well as the Russian energy industry. The sanctions announced at the start of Thursday's G7 summit apply to 50 companies and individuals involved in supplying munitions, machine tools, microelectronics, and logistics to the Russian military, together with ships transporting military goods from North Korea to Russia. Britain also said it was targeting the “shadow fleet” of ships used to circumvent G7 sanctions on the Russia oil and natural gas industry. The U.K. Foreign Office said this is particularly important because taxes on oil production accounted for 31% of the Russian government’s revenue last year. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in a statement that the U.K. "will always stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine in its fight for freedom.’’ Sunak added that Russian President Vladimir Putin "must lose, and cutting off his ability to fund a prolonged conflict is absolutely vital.” BARI, Italy — European Council President Charles Michel says the Group of Seven summit would focus on four major challenges including financial support for Ukraine, the war in the Middle East, migration, and relations with Africa. On Ukraine, Michel said at Thursday's start of the Group of Seven summit that “we want to make decisions to provide more immediate financial support for Ukraine so that they can defend themselves.” The G7 meeting opened with an agreement on a US proposal to back a $50 billion loan to Ukraine with frozen Russian assets. Speaking of the ongoing war in Gaza, Michel said the main goals were an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, humanitarian access to Gaza and relaunching “a political track for making possible the two-state solution as soon as possible.” Despite mounting international pressure, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made clear he opposes the creation of a Palestinian state in any postwar scenario. On migration, Michel said the focus was to create a “coalition to fight against the smugglers, the criminal groups” which were abusing vulnerable people “to make money and to destabilize regions and countries across the world.” Michel said African countries were tackling both poverty and the consequences of climate change and need access to capital, adding that building partnerships must be “based on trust, based on respect, based on mutual confidence.” BORGO EGNAZIA, Italy — U.S. officials say that Italy is joining a rail corridor project in Africa as part of a collaborative effort by the Group of Seven nations to fund infrastructure projects. The Lobito corridor is a railway line that will connect southern and central Africa. Not just railway, the project will also bring telecommunication cables and other infrastructure to the region. It’s projected eventually to go from Angola to the Democratic Republic of Congo. The investment project is meant to serve as an alternative to China’s development efforts, which the U.S. and its allies say China uses to exert influence on developing nations. BARI, Italy — Pope Francis will be meeting a series of world leaders on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in southern Italy. Francis, who will be the first pope to address a G7 summit, will kick off his bilateral talks shortly after arriving at the summit location. He will meet Friday with Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as well as with the head of the International Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva. The pope has previously met with Zelenskyy but caused a stir earlier this year when he said that Ukraine should have the “courage of the white flag” to negotiate an end of the war with Russia. Kyiv summoned the Holy See ambassador to complain. After delivering a speech at the G7 summit, the pope will continue his meetings with Kenyan President William Ruto, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Joe Biden, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. BARI, Italy — Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni says the location of the Group of Seven summit in southern Italy’s Puglia region was chosen to send a message that the seven leading democracies want to “strengthen (their) dialogue with the nations of the global south.” In welcoming remarks at Thursday's start of the summit, Meloni said the meeting’s agenda was wide-ranging, tackling topics including conflict in Ukraine and the Middle East, creating “solid and controllable supply chains,” and the advent of artificial intelligence. The meeting will also focus on Africa and migration. Meloni said the G7 was “not a fortress closed in itself” but rather “an offer of values that we open to the world.” The Italian premier called the region of Puglia "historically a bridge between West and East,” while the summit logo, a stylized depiction of an olive tree with roots and seven olives, depicts the collaboration of nations to tackle global challenges. BORGO EGNAZIA, Italy — Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni is greeting leaders of the Group of Seven as they arrive for a summit dominated by pledges of new assistance to help Ukraine in its war with Russia. Standing in front of one of Puglia’s famed olive trees and under a canopy to guard against the sun, Meloni welcomed first British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and then German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Ahead of the summit, negotiators reached a deal to back a $50 billion loan to Ukraine using frozen Russian assets held in the European Union as collateral. The venue for the summit is Borgo Egnazai, a new luxury resort built to look like one of Puglia’s medieval white-washed towns, complete with narrow streets, villas and a central piazza. BARI, Italy — Officials say the world’s seven wealthiest democracies have agreed on lending Ukraine up to $50 billion using frozen Russian assets as collateral. Diplomats confirmed the agreement, which was struck before Thursday’s start of the three-day G7 summit that brings together Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. U.S. President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will also sign a bilateral security agreement during the summit. European officials have resisted confiscating the assets, citing legal and financial stability concerns. But the plan would use the interest earned on the assets to help Ukraine’s war effort. The U.S. proposal involves using profits from the roughly $260 billion in frozen Russian central bank assets, most of them held in the European Union, to help Ukraine. The U.S. would issue Ukraine the $50 billion loan using windfall profits from the immobilized funds as collateral. LONDON — U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is announcing up to 242 million pounds (286 million euros or $310 million) in nonmilitary aid to Ukraine as Group of Seven leaders gather for a summit overshadowed by war. Sunak is taking time out from the U.K. election campaign to attend Thursday's gathering in southern Italy. The U.K. government says the money will go towards “immediate humanitarian, energy and stabilization needs” in Ukraine. Sunak has also thrown his support behind a plan to use interest from seized Russian assets to help Ukraine rebuild. Sunak said the war is at a “critical moment” and Ukraine’s allies “must move from ‘as long as it takes’ to ‘whatever it takes’ if we are to end this illegal war.” The U.K. has pledged 12.5 billion pounds to Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022. That includes 7.6 billion pounds worth of military assistance. Sunak is battling to keep his job after the U.K. election on July 4, with opinion polls putting his Conservatives far behind the opposition Labour Party. Labour leader Keir Starmer says he will keep up the United Kingdom's strong support for Ukraine if he becomes prime minister. BORGO EGNAZIA, Italy — Madonna and the Beckhams have reportedly stayed there, and Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake got married there. Borgo Egnazia in Italy’s southern Puglia region has certainly had its share of star power and on Thursday hosts another set of VIP guests: the leaders of the world’s industrialized democracies. But the venue for the Group of Seven summit is also something of a theater set, a faux town made to resemble one of Puglia’s medieval white-washed hamlets but that actually only dates from 2010. Located next to an actual archaeological park, Borgo Egnazia features narrow streets, villas, restaurants and a town square complete with a clocktower.