MUNSTER, Germany – Top diplomats from the world’s main industrialized democracies on Friday pledged their support for Ukraine’s resistance to the Russian invasion and expressed concerns about China’s ambitions.

Foreign ministers from the G7 countries, including Canadian Minister Melanie Joly, ended two days of talks in the historic city of Munster in western Germany.

In an upcoming statement, they should reaffirm their common positions on Ukraine, Russia, China and recent developments in Iran and North Korea.

A year after Russia warned of the consequences of invading Ukraine, G7 ministers were expected to approve new sanctions against the Kremlin and additional support for Kyiv and countries hit by war-induced food and energy shortages are, officials said.

Ministers will also criticize Iran for alleged arms sales to Russia and its brutal crackdown on anti-government protesters. Her statement will also condemn the recent escalation of tensions in Asia caused by North Korean military activities.

“As a collective of the G7, our job is to keep peace, to bring peace to the region, and we are here to protect those international standards,” Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly said.

A senior US official said that despite often competing national interests and priorities, the group has shown “remarkable” unity on virtually every major issue, particularly China’s growing economic clout and global ambitions.

However, it is still unclear how much influence the G7 actually has. His warnings last December to Russian President Vladimir Putin to stay out of Ukraine went unheeded. Chinese leader Xi Jinping has sided with Moscow and is pushing ahead with plans to reunite Taiwan with the mainland by force if necessary.

Meanwhile, Iran has ignored calls to return to a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, started supplying arms to help Russia in the war in Ukraine and launched a massive crackdown on domestic dissent. Similarly, North Korea ignored calls to resume nuclear talks and increased missile launches, increasing tension and fears of open conflict.

In Germany, many have noted the historical importance of the place where the G7 ministers met: the room where the 1648 Treaties of Westphalia were signed, ending the bloody Thirty Years’ War in Europe.