Following the US’s announcement that it will let allies to provide Ukraine with fighter planes, Volodymyr Zelenskiy is scheduled to meet with Joe Biden.
As his soldiers are ready for a significant counteroffensive in the conflict with Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has arrived in Japan, where he is scheduled to negotiate more military aid from the US and other G7 nations.
On a French government jet, Zelenskiy landed in Hiroshima on Saturday afternoon, where this weekend’s G7 summit is being held. Prior to a full day of bilateral and group discussions with G7 leaders intended to increase western support for Kyiv, he was photographed departing the aircraft amid heavy security.
He tweeted shortly after arriving: “Japan. G7. Important gatherings with Ukraine’s friends and allies. Security and improved teamwork are essential to our success. Today will bring closer peace.
A day after the White House declared it would allow allies to provide Ukraine with US-built F-16 fighter fighters, Zelenskiy landed in Hiroshima. Zelenskiy called the choice “historic” before departing for Japan and said he was looking forward to “discussing the practical implementation” with the G7 nations.
The summit opened on Friday with a trip to a memorial honouring the atrocities of the US atomic bombing of the city at the close of World War II. The White House stated that Joe Biden was “looking forward” to seeing Zelenskiy there. Later, the leaders paid tribute to the tens of thousands of victims of the assault by laying wreaths and holding a minute of silence at a monument.
The meeting between President Biden and Zelenskiy is a foregone conclusion, according to Jake Sullivan, the US national security adviser. The chance to have a face-to-face meeting is something that the president eagerly anticipates.
The fundamental balance Washington sought to maintain in aiding Ukraine “in a way that avoids world war three,” according to Sullivan, would not be disrupted by the F-16 shipments.
He asserted that “the United States is not facilitating or endorsing attacks on Russian territory,” and that “the Ukrainians have repeatedly indicated that they are ready to carry out that.”
On Sunday, the summit’s last day, discussions for Ukraine are anticipated to take centre stage. The G7 restated its steadfast support for Kiev in the face of Russia’s “illegal, unjustifiable, and unprovoked war of aggression” on Friday in addition to announcing a fresh round of penalties on the Kremlin.
Zelenskiy’s tour will also allow him a once-in-a-lifetime chance to meet with the heads of strong non-aligned nations like Brazil and India who have refrained from denouncing Russia’s incursion.
Zelenskiy will take part in Sunday’s discussions about Ukraine with G7 leaders and a session on “peace and stability” that will also involve invited non-member nations, according to the foreign ministry of Japan.
There are worries that the conflict in Ukraine would encourage China, which has been building up its nuclear weapons, to attack Taiwan. Beijing considers the island to be a province gone rogue and has vowed to annex it, using force if necessary.
The world economy would be devastated by a crisis in the Taiwan Strait, a crucial trade route, and there is a chance that it may spark a larger battle.
Tsai Ing-wen, the president of Taiwan, declared on Saturday that her country will not irritate China or give in to pressure from Beijing.
“War is not a choice. Tsai made the statement in a speech to commemorate her seventh year in power. “Neither side can unilaterally change the status quo with violent means,” she said. “The consensus for the world and Taiwan is to maintain the status quo of peace and stability.”
On Saturday, the G7 leaders also decided to launch a new programme to fight economic coercion and promised to take steps to stop “actors” from using economic dependency as a weapon, which is commonly considered to include China.
In addition to pledging the G7 to intensify cooperation on hardening supply chains, they stated in a statement that “the world has encountered a disturbing rise in incidents of economic coercion that seek to exploit economic vulnerabilities.” They also called for a larger role for lower income countries in fostering economic resilience.
They warned that supply chain disruptions “have had devastating effects for developing, emerging, and advanced economies alike” and urged nations to construct supply chain networks in accordance with the principles of “transparency, diversification, security, sustainability, and trustworthiness and reliability.”
The leaders issued a warning earlier on Saturday, saying that the stability of the world and the region was at risk due to China’s “accelerating buildup of its nuclear arsenal without transparency [or] meaningful dialogue.”
Despite these reservations, they emphasised the significance of cooperating with the second-largest economy in the world. In a draught of the official communiqué that was leaked to the media, they stated, “We do not wish to obstruct China’s economic progress and development.
In a statement released on Saturday, the United States urged North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons programmes, “including any additional nuclear tests or launches using ballistic missile technology. Under international nuclear accords, North Korea cannot and will never have the status of a nuclear-weapon state.
Despite years of UN-led restrictions intended to hinder Pyongyang’s capacity to create weapons of mass devastation, the dictatorship there has significantly advanced its ballistic missile capabilities. It is now thought to have the capability to potentially strike the US mainland, and there are growing rumours that it is getting ready to execute what would be its seventh nuclear test.
Reporting was supplied by agencies
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