Zelensky at the G7 in Hiroshima to plead the Ukrainian cause especially with China and India

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrives at Hiroshima airport aboard a French plane to attend the G7 summit, May 20, 2023. © Kyodo News, via AP

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2 min

Traveling aboard a plane from the French Republic, the Ukrainian president arrived on Saturday, May 20 in Hiroshima, Japan, to attend a G7 summit to have meetings with the leaders of other countries as well, such as India and Brazil. The leaders of the seven most developed countries called on China to "pressure Russia to stop its aggression" against Ukraine.

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At 8:30 a.m. on the spot, Hiroshima time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky landed aboard an A330 of the French Republic, flocked with the blue, white and red cockade. Getting off the plane alone, in his irremovable khaki hoodie, he quickly rushed into a black sedan to reach the G7 site: the Grand Prince Hotel in Hiroshima, where delegations are at work, reports our special envoy to Hiroshima, Vincent Souriau.

On Twitter, he immediately estimated that peace would be "closer" as a result of this summit.

Japan. G7. Important meetings with partners and friends of Ukraine. Security and enhanced cooperation for our victory. Peace will become closer today.

— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 20, 2023

Busy schedule for the Ukrainian president, with a series of very high-level meetings. First, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Because Volodymyr Zelensky comes to seek the support of the invited countries of the G7, including India and Brazil, which have still not taken a firm position on the war in Ukraine and are still cultivating their close relationship with Russia.

A head-to-head is also planned in the middle of the evening with French President Emmanuel Macron. As well as another with Joe Biden, who has just given the green light to F16 deliveries, a decision that Volodymyr Zelensky qualified as soon as his announcement Friday, May 19 as "historic": "I intend to discuss the concrete implementation of this decision at the G7 summit in Hiroshima" with the US president and his partners, also tweeted the Ukrainian president.

I welcome the historic decision of the United States and @POTUS to support an international fighter jet coalition. This will greatly enhance our army in the sky. I count on discussing the practical implementation of this decision at the #G7 summit in Hiroshima.

— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 19, 2023

White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan also confirmed that the United States now supports a joint initiative by its allies to train Ukrainian pilots. During these long months of training, Westerners will decide the delivery schedule of the planes, their number and the countries that will provide them.

While Ukraine is preparing a major counter-offensive against Moscow, Volodymyr Zelensky has just returned from a tour of Europe where he had still asked for these fighters. But until now, Westerners, led by the United States, have resisted these demands, citing the risks of escalating the conflict, and saying it was not a priority.

In Hiroshima, ravaged by a US atomic bomb in 1945, leaders on Saturday called on China to "pressure Russia to stop its aggression" against Ukraine and "immediately, totally and unconditionally withdraw its troops," while Beijing remains a close ally of Moscow and has never condemned the Russian invasion.

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Read on on the same topics:

  • Japan
  • Ukraine
  • G7
  • Diplomacy
  • Russia
  • Volodymyr Zelensky
  • Defense
  • India
  • China