HIROSHIMA, Japan (AP) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Japan on Saturday for diplomatic talks with the leaders of the world’s most powerful democracy as they tightened sanctions aimed at punishing Moscow for its 15-month invasion. of it in Ukraine.
Zelenskyy’s decision to visit Hiroshima stems from his “strong desire” to participate in talks with the Group of Seven and other countries that could influence his country’s defense against Russia, said host nation Japan.
Strengthening international support is a key priority for Ukraine as it prepares for what is seen as a major push aimed at recapturing territory seized by Russia in the war that began in February last year. Zelenskyy’s visit comes hours after the US agreed to allow training of powerful American-made fighter jets.which laid the foundation for their move to Ukraine.
“Japan. G7. Important meetings with colleagues and friends of Ukraine. Security and enhanced cooperation for our victory. Peace will be closer today,” Zelenskyy tweeted as he arrived at a aircraft provided by France.
An EU official, speaking on condition of anonymity to brief reporters on the deliberations, said Zelenskyy would participate in two separate sessions on Sunday. The first session will be with G7 members only and will focus on the war in Ukraine. The second session will include the G7 as well as other countries invited to participate in the summit, and will focus on “peace and stability.”
US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said that President Joe Biden and Zelenskyy will have direct contact with the summit. On Friday, Biden announced his support for the training of Ukrainian pilots in US-made F-16 fighter jets, a prelude to providing the aircraft to the Air Force of Ukraine.
The G7 pledged to step up the pressure in its joint statement on Saturday.
“Russia’s brutal war of aggression represents a threat to the whole world in violation of the basic rules, norms and principles of the international community. We reaffirm our unwavering support for in Ukraine to the extent necessary to bring about a comprehensive, just and lasting peace,” the group said.
World leaders face a balancing act at the G7 in Hiroshima as they look to address a raft of global concerns that demand urgent attention, including climate change, AI , poverty and economic instability, nuclear proliferation and, above all, the war in Ukraine.
China, the No. 2 world economysits at the nexus of most concerns.
There is growing concern in Asia that Beijing, which continues to build up its nuclear weapons program, may try to seize Taiwan by force, triggering a wider conflict. China claims the self-governing island as its own and regularly sends ships and warplanes near it.
G7 leaders issued a statement warning that China’s “accelerating build-up of its nuclear arsenal without transparency (or) meaningful dialogue is worrying global and regional stability.”
“We intend to work with China on matters of mutual interest,” Sullivan said of the statement. “We will work to address our key concerns that we have with China in various areas.”
North Korea, which has been testing high-powered missiles in an attempt to perfect a nuclear program aimed at targeting the mainland United States, must completely abandon its nuclear bomb ambitions, the statement said. leaders, “including any further nuclear tests or launches. that use ballistic missile technology. North Korea does not and will never acquire the status of a nuclear-weapon State under the “international nuclear treaty.
The green light on F-16 training is the latest move by the Biden administration as it moves to equip Ukraine with more advanced and lethal weapons, following earlier decisions to send rocket launcher systems and Abrams tank. The United States insists it sent weapons to Ukraine in self-defense and thwarted Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory.
“We have reached a moment where it is time to look again at the road to say what Ukraine needs as part of the future force, to deter and defend against Russian aggression as we go forward,” he said. said Sullivan. .
G7 leaders launched a new wave of global sanctions in Moscow as well as plans to improve the effectiveness of the current financial sanctions aimed at preventing President Vladimir Putin’s war effort. Russia is now the most permissive country in the world, but there are questions about effectiveness.
“Our support for Ukraine will not waver,” the G7 leaders said in a statement released after the closed-door meetings. They vowed to “stand together against Russia’s illegal, unjustified and senseless war of aggression against Ukraine.”
“Russia started this war and may end this war,” they said.
Zelenskyy has repeatedly called for Western fighter jets to bolster his country’s defenses. As Ukraine beefs up its air defenses with more Western-supplied anti-aircraft systems and prepares to launch a counteroffensive against Russia, officials believe the jets will be important in the long run. national security.
Biden’s decisions on when, how many, and who will provide the fourth-generation F-16 fighter jets will be made in the coming months as training continues, Biden told the leaders.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida separately held talks on Saturday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, which is hosting the G20 world leaders’ gathering later this year. During their meeting, Kishida emphasized that attempts at change by force should not be tolerated anywhere in the world – a possible reference to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and a warning to China regarding Taiwan.
India, the world’s largest democracy, has been measured in its comments on the war in Ukraine, and has refrained from directly condemning the Russian invasion. While India maintains close ties with the US and its Western allies, it is also a major buyer of Russian arms and oil.
The latest sanctions aimed at Russia include tighter restrictions on already sanctioned people and companies involved in the war effort. More than 125 individuals and organizations in 20 countries have been hit by US sanctions.
In addition, new reporting requirements are issued for people and companies that have any interest in the assets of the Russian Central Bank. The goal is to “fully map the assets of Russia’s sovereign assets that will remain dormant in G7 jurisdictions until Russia pays for the damage it has done in Ukraine,” the US Treasury Department said.
The G7 countries said they would work to prevent Russia from using the international financial system to prosecute its war, and they urged other countries to stop giving Russia support and weapons. or face severe costs.”
The leaders began the summit by visiting a peace park dedicated to the tens of thousands who died in the first detonation of the atomic bomb during the world war. Kishida, who represents Hiroshima in parliament, wants nuclear disarmament to be a major focus of the discussions.
Biden, scrapping plans to travel to Papua New Guinea and Australia after his stay in Japan so he can return to the debt limit talks in Washington, arranged to meet Saturday on the G-7 sidelines with the leaders of the so-called Quad partnership, which is made up of Japan, Australia, India and the United States .
G7 leaders should also discuss efforts to stabilize the global economy and address rising prices that are straining families and government budgets around the world, especially in developing countries. countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
A US official said the leaders on Saturday will issue a joint communique outlining new projects in the G7 infrastructure development initiative, which is intended to offer countries an alternative to investment dollars in China.
The G7 includes Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada and Italy, as well as the European Union.
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Associated Press writers Josh Boak, Elaine Kurtenbach and Mari Yamaguchi in Hiroshima contributed to this report.
