By Steve Holland and Jarrett Renshaw
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden will meet virtually on Friday with G7 leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to mark the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and announce new sanctions against those aiding Russia’s war effort, the White House said.
The same group came together last year hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine, imposing the first round of a series of sanctions.
“The G7 has become an anchor of our strong and united response to Russia,” White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Thursday. The leaders on Friday will discuss “how we continue supporting Ukraine” and ways to increase pressure on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine a year ago, she said.
The sanctions will include Russian banks, technology and defense sectors, and will impact both people and companies involved in the conflict, according to Jean-Pierre.
The U.S. will also announce a fresh Ukrainian aid package that will include economic, security and energy support, she added.
(Reporting by Steve Holland and Jarrett Renshaw; Editing by Trevor Hunnicutt and Leslie Adler)
