G7 foreign ministers vowed on Friday to continue supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russia and urged caution towards China after two days of talks in Germany.

The Group of Seven Rich Countries Club has agreed on a new structure to channel aid to Ukraine to help rebuild infrastructure Russia is aiming for, the foreign ministers said in a statement.

“Today we are establishing a G7 coordination mechanism to help Ukraine repair, restore and defend its critical energy and water infrastructure,” they said in Munster.

The ministers said Russia is trying to “terrorize” Ukraine’s civilian population with attacks on people and infrastructure, particularly energy and water facilities.

“Indiscriminate attacks on civilians and infrastructure constitute war crimes and we reaffirm our determination to ensure full accountability for these and crimes against humanity,” the ministers said.

The G7 also expressed concern over Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent comments on nuclear weapons, saying any use of such weapons would have “severe consequences”.

“Russia’s irresponsible nuclear rhetoric is unacceptable,” they said, also dismissing Russia’s “false claims that Ukraine is preparing a radiological ‘dirty bomb’.”

“We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to continue to provide Ukraine with the financial, humanitarian, defence, political, technical and legal assistance it needs to alleviate the suffering of its people and safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the ministers said .

On the sidelines of the talks, British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly told AFP the allies would help Ukraine “bring this conflict to a successful conclusion for as long as possible”.

China was also high on the agenda of the summit, which took place alongside a controversial visit by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to Beijing.

Scholz told Chinese leaders on Friday that Berlin expects equal treatment on trade as it seeks greater economic cooperation despite growing distrust of the Asian superpower in the West.

The G7 states agreed to “constructive cooperation with China where possible and in our interest”.

At the same time, they called on Beijing to “act in accordance with its international obligations and legal obligations” and “refrain from threats, coercion, intimidation or the use of force.”

“We are firmly opposed to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion,” they said, referring to Taiwan.

A senior US State Department official told reporters there was a “remarkable consensus on views and approaches on China” at the summit.

Iran also attended the gathering, with ministers condemning Tehran’s “brutal and disproportionate” response to a wave of protests sparked by the death of young Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini.

The diplomats criticized Tehran’s “destabilizing activities in and around the Middle East” such as the transfer of weapons, including drones, “to state and non-state actors”.

“Such proliferation is destabilizing the region and escalating already high tensions,” they said.

The final statement also criticized a record-breaking string of North Korean missile launches earlier this week that included a failed ICBM test.

“We, the G7 members, strongly condemn the unprecedented series of unlawful launches of ballistic missiles,” it said.

And in another nod to the aftermath of the war in Ukraine, ministers urged oil-producing states to increase production to drive down prices, a month after OPEC+ decided to slash output.

The boost in production should help reduce “volatility in energy markets” caused by the war in Ukraine, the ministers said.

The G7 intend to finalize the implementation of a Russian oil price cap mechanism “in the coming weeks,” they said.

At the end of the meeting, the ministers held talks with their Kenyan and Ghanaian counterparts and representatives of the African Union.