Leaders of the world's seven largest industrial democracies — the G-7 — completed a successful summit in Germany this week. The concluding communiqué covered a range of issues, but all directly or indirectly addressed the theme of enhancing security. In the process, the G-7 showed it is not a Cold War-era anachronism, but a vital international institution trying to restore order to an increasingly disorderly world.

Economic issues were appropriately prominent, including pushes for balanced, global growth and for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership and the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade agreements. This should remind Congress, as it mulls granting President Obama trade promotion authority, that beyond the economic benefits of free trade there are significant foreign-policy stakes.

Climate change is also considered a security issue, especially by Pentagon planners wary of global destabilization due to climate-triggered scarcity. G-7 leaders have announced or proposed post-2020 carbon emission targets, which should help additional countries coalesce at the U.N. Climate Conference in Paris this December. Obama is right to commit the U.S. to do its part, and Congress should follow his lead.

More immediate threats were also confronted. Leaders reaffirmed support for diplomacy to deal with Iran's potential nuclear weapons program, and for the initial deal itself, suggesting that the U.S. might be internationally isolated if Congress rejects a final accord. If so, Iran might get sanctions relief while still maintaining its capacity, an outcome that must be avoided. Less specific were words about the role Libya's disintegration plays in the Mediterranean migration crisis.

Before committing up to 450 more troops to fight the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, Obama candidly conceded that "we don't yet have a complete strategy." It was encouraging, however, that Iraq's prime minister joined the talks, as did the leaders of Nigeria and Tunisia. But beyond summits, an effective strategy to fight extremism is badly needed.

Most important, the G-7 reaffirmed support for embattled Ukraine and said that Russia (which once made it a G-8, but was kicked out due to its illegal annexation of Crimea) would continue to face sanctions until conditions of the "Minsk agreements" are met. A key European Union vote looms to extend E.U. sanctions, and G-7 clarity was encouraging.

"The G-7's role in this process has been positive," said John Herbst, former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine. Added Herbst, who is now director of the Eurasia Center at the Atlantic Council: "Different policies are making it more and more costly for Mr. Putin to conduct this aggression. And if additional burdens are placed on the Kremlin for its aggression, maybe we'll ultimately see the right decision in Moscow. But we're not at that point yet."

Not yet, no. But it won't happen without responsible global organizations unifying, so the G-7 action on Russia, and many other security issues, was welcome indeed.