HIROSHIMA, Japan (AP) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy came to Japan on Saturday to meet with the leaders of the world’s most powerful democracy. The personal appearance was meant to capture the world’s attention as countries stepped up pressure on their 15-month-long invasion of Russia. Ukraine.
Increasing international support is a key priority as Ukraine prepares for what appears to be a major push to reclaim territories stolen by Russia in a war that began in February last year. Mr. Zelensky’s direct visit to the G7 summit came just hours after the United States agreed to allow the training of powerful American fighter jets, laying the groundwork for their eventual transfer to Ukraine.
Host Japan said Zelensky’s participation came from his “strong desire” to participate in talks with blocs and other countries that affect the country’s defense against Russia.
“Japan. G7. Important meeting with Ukrainian partners and friends. Strengthening security and cooperation for our victory. Peace will be even closer today,” President Zelensky tweeted after arriving on a French-provided plane. bottom.
HIROSHIMA, JAPAN – MAY 20: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky travels in a motorcade to meet world leaders at the G7 summit on May 20, 2023 in Hiroshima, Japan. (Photo credit: Takashi Aoyama/Getty Images)
A European Union official, speaking on condition of anonymity, briefed reporters on the deliberations and said Zelensky would attend two separate meetings on Sunday. One session will be with G7 members only and will focus on the war in Ukraine. The other, which will involve the G7 as well as other countries invited to the summit, will focus on “peace and stability.”
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that Presidents Joe Biden and Zelensky will talk face-to-face at the summit. On Friday, Mr. Biden expressed his support for training Ukrainian pilots in US-made F-16 fighter jets, a precursor to the eventual delivery of the jets to Ukraine.
The G7 pledged to step up pressure in a joint statement on Saturday.
“Russia’s brutal war of aggression violates the basic norms, rules and principles of the international community and poses a threat to the whole world. We reaffirm our unwavering support for Ukraine as long as it is needed,” the group said.
HIROSHIMA, JAPAN – MAY 20: British Prime Minister Rishi Snak meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during the G7 Summit at the Grand Prince Hotel in Hiroshima on May 20, 2023. (Photo Credit: Stefan Rousseau – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
G7 leaders face a balancing act as they seek to address a number of global concerns that require urgent attention, including climate change, AI, poverty and economic instability, nuclear proliferation and, above all, the war in Ukraine. .
China, the world’s second-largest economy, is at the center of many of these concerns.
There are growing fears that Beijing, which is steadily ramping up its nuclear weapons program, will seek to take over Taiwan by force, sparking a wider conflict. China claims the autonomous island as its own and regularly sends ships and fighter jets to its vicinity.
The G7 said on Saturday that it did not want to harm China and was seeking a “constructive and stable relationship” with China, adding: “It is important to engage candidly with China and express concerns directly to China. I know my gender,” he said.
He also called on China to put pressure on Russia to end the Ukraine war and “support a comprehensive, just and lasting peace.”
North Korea, which has been conducting missile tests at a breakneck pace, must completely abandon its nuclear bomb ambitions “including further nuclear tests and launches using ballistic missile technology,” the statement said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (right) speaks with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (left) during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Hiroshima on May 20, 2023. (Photo credit: Ludwig Marin/Pool/AFP) (Photo) Ludwig Marin/Pool/AFP via Getty Images
The green light for F-16 training is the latest shift by the Biden administration in a move to arm Ukraine with more advanced and lethal weapons, following earlier decisions to send rocket launcher systems and Abrams tanks. The United States has dissuaded Ukraine from attacking Russian territory by claiming it is sending weapons to Ukraine to defend itself.
“We are again looking forward and asking what Ukraine needs as part of its future military capability, to be able to deter and defend against Russian aggression,” Sullivan said. It’s time to think,” he said. .
When, how many and who will provide the fourth-generation F-16 fighter jets will be decided in the coming months, Biden told leaders, as training is underway.
G7 leaders have laid out plans to roll out a new wave of global sanctions against Russia and increase the effectiveness of existing financial sanctions aimed at curbing President Vladimir Putin’s war effort. Russia is currently the most sanctioned country in the world, but its effectiveness is questionable.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida separately met one-on-one with leaders, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will host the G20 world leaders’ meeting later this year.
India, the world’s largest democracy, has been criticized for its comments on the Ukraine war, avoiding outright condemnation of Russia’s aggression. While India maintains close ties with the United States and its Western allies, it is also a major buyer of Russian arms and oil.
The latest sanctions aimed at Russia include tightening restrictions on persons and companies involved in the already sanctioned war effort. More than 125 individuals and entities in 20 countries are subject to US sanctions.
Leaders kicked off the summit with a visit to a peace park commemorating the tens of thousands of victims of the world’s first wartime atomic bomb explosion. Kishida, who represents Hiroshima in parliament, wants nuclear disarmament to be a major focus of the debate.
G7 Leaders also discussed efforts to strengthen the global economy and address rising prices that are putting pressure on household and government budgets around the world, especially in developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
The group reiterated its goal of raising up to $600 billion for the G7’s global infrastructure development initiative, which aims to provide countries with alternative financing for China’s investment.
Biden has canceled plans to travel to Papua New Guinea and Australia after a stay in Japan to return to debt-straightening talks in Washington, but he has also met with leaders of the so-called Quad Partnership, which consists of Japan. Australia, India, USA.
From Ukraine to allies: donate us 1 percent of GDP to fight Russiahttps://t.co/lZV35gbtE4
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) May 9, 2023
