Zelenskyy calls for strengthened sanctions against Russia at G7

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also made a brief visit to Canada to call on the Group of Seven for heightened pressure on Russia amid its alarming assaults against civilians in Ukraine in recent times.

Lee Seung-jae has the latest.

During the G7 Summit in Canada, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday called on member nations to invest in Ukraine's defense technologies.

The comments were made at the special G7 leaders' meeting for Ukraine, where Zelenskyy shared details of Russia's missile and drone strikes targeting civilians in his country.

The Ukrainian leader said Russia's upgrading of Iranian drones and its cooperation with North Korea, is the reason Ukraine is actively working on the development of interceptor drones, and why the country requires additional funding for their production.

Zelenskyy also called for tougher sanctions on Russia, stressing that the EU's 18th sanctions package must reinforce restrictions on Russia's banking and energy sectors.

He also called on G7 leaders to impose a strict price cap on Russian oil.

During a meeting between Zelenskyy and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on the same day, the Canadian leader announced that his country will provide Ukraine with a new military package worth more than 2 billion U.S. dollars.

Carney says the new military aid will give Ukraine drones, helicopters and ammunition.

Canada will also provide Ukraine with a two-point-three billion dollar loan to help it rebuild public infrastructure destroyed by years of Russian bombing.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin on Tuesday said U.S. President Donald Trump was right to say that it was wrong to remove Russia from the Group of Eight in 2014.

The comments come as Trump said at the G7 Summit on Monday that the G8 had been wrong to expel Russia after annexing Crimea from Ukraine.

According to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, despite being expelled from the group,.. the G7 had "lost practical significance" for Russia and looked "rather useless" now.

While the G7 Summit takes place in Canada, Chinese President Xi Jinping held a summit with the leaders of five Central Asian countries on Tuesday.

During the summit in Astana,.. Xi criticized Trump's tariff policy, saying that there are no winners in a tariff war.

Xi said China and the five Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan will strengthen its cooperation, as Beijing looks to further deepen cooperation on trade, energy and infrastructure with the resource-rich region.

Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.