First modification:
The Ukrainian president is in Hiroshima, Japan. He will meet with the leaders of the G7, the group of industrial democracies, to stress their calls for support for their country, to toughen economic sanctions on members of the group against Russia and to discuss China’s role in the current situation.
“Today, peace will be closer,” Zelensky tweeted on landing in Japan, referring to “important meetings with Ukraine’s partners and friends” as part of the G7 summit.
Seven of the world’s most powerful countries are participating in this series of talks. The United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Japan, Canada, and Italy are the permanent members of the group. This year, Brazil and India are the most prominent guests at the summit.
The Ukrainian president has already met with the Italian Prime Minister, Georgia Meloni; with the British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunnak, and with his Indian counterpart, Narenda Modi, in talks that had the conflict in Ukraine as the central axis. He is expected to do the same for Brazilian President Lula Inácio da Silva.
met president @ZelenskyyUa in Hiroshima. Conveyed our clear support for dialogue and diplomacy to find a way forward. We will continue to extend humanitarian assistance to the people of Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/1srbIIJUB3
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 20, 2023
Approach to China
One of the most relevant issues on the agenda of the G7 summit this year is the role of the Asian giant in a possible process to achieve peace in Ukrainian territory, since, at present, it is the world power with the most current relations with Russia.
In a joint statement, prior to their meetings with Volodymyr Zelensky, the G7 members called on China to “pressure” the Russian government to withdraw its troops from Ukraine “unconditionally.”
“We call on China to put pressure on Russia to end its military aggression and withdraw its troops from Ukraine immediately, completely and unconditionally,” the members of the interstate group said.
In the same statement, the G7 bloc mentioned that its members are ready to build “stable and constructive” relations with Beijing, and that the policies adopted by them are not “designed to harm China.”
“A growing China that meets international standards would be in the global interest,” the Group of Seven joint statement said.
F-16 in Ukraine, a “colossal risk” for the West
As the G7 summit enters its second day, Russian Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko has reacted to US President Joe Biden’s comments about how his government supports joint training programs for Ukrainian fighter jet pilots. F-16′.
“We see that Western countries continue to adhere to the scenario of escalation. It implies colossal risks for themselves,” Grushko said when questioned by the Russian press about the US president’s words.
The fact is that despite the fact that, so far, there is no formal agreement by any of the G7 nations with Ukraine to send combat aircraft, the Russian government is not satisfied with the attitude of the Western bloc, which could trigger an escalation of hostilities within territory ukrainian.
With Reuters and AP
