Ukrainian President at the centre of G7 talks, Zelenskyy met Biden

On the closing day of the G7 summit, world leaders increased pressure on Russia for its war against Ukraine, placing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the centre of top global discussions.

Biden met Zelenskyy and confirmed US support for Ukraine

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s physical presence at one of the most crucial diplomatic summits in the world aims to draw attention to Ukraine’s 15-month war with Russia.

At the G7 conference in Hiroshima on Sunday, US President Joe Biden met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Biden emphasized the US commitment to helping the Ukrainian people protect their sovereignty and democracy from Russian invasion.

Biden announced new military aid to Ukraine

The U.S. President Joe Biden highlighted the United States’ commitment to continue providing security assistance to meet Ukraine’s immediate needs on the battlefield, including today’s announcement of an additional $375 million in munitions and equipment and building Ukraine’s long-term capacity to defend against and deter Russian aggression, according to the White House statement.

The leaders talked about how the United States supports efforts to collaborate with Western allies to train Ukrainian pilots for fourth-generation fighter aircraft like the F-16 in this regard.

To prepare Ukraine for receiving US-made F-16 fighter planes in the future, Biden stated that he was in favour of training Ukrainian pilots on those aircraft.

In light of Russia’s continuous missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities, they also reviewed current attempts to bolster Ukraine’s air defence system significantly.

The support of the United States and other G7 nations for Ukraine’s recovery mainly measures to rebuild its energy infrastructure and for Ukraine to execute the changes required to realize President Biden also stressed its Euro-Atlantic objectives.

G7 endorsed new sanctions against Russia

The G7 has vowed to intensify the pressure on Russia for its war in Ukraine.

The G7 nations agreed on new sanctions and other measures intended to penalize Moscow and hinder its capacity for warfighting.

“Russia’s brutal war of aggression represents a threat to the whole world in breach of fundamental norms, rules and principles of the international community. We reaffirm our unwavering support for Ukraine for as long as it takes to bring a comprehensive, just and lasting peace,” the group said in a statement.

As Ukraine gets ready for what is expected to be a significant effort to retake territory taken by Russia in the war that started in February 2022, bolstering foreign backing is a top concern. Zelenskyy’s attendance at the G7 conference came just after the United States permitted training on powerful fighter jets produced in the country, laying the framework for their ultimate transfer to Ukraine.

“Japan. G7. Important meetings with partners and friends of Ukraine. Security and enhanced cooperation for our victory. Peace will come closer today”, Mr Zelenskyy wrote.

Meeting of the leaders of India and Ukraine

In their first face-to-face meeting since the war, Zelenskyy also met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the G7 summit and informed him of Ukraine’s peace plan, which asks for a withdrawal of Russian soldiers from Ukrainian territories before any negotiations.

India has refrained from overtly condemning Russia’s invasion. India is a significant purchaser of Russian oil and armaments, even though it maintains tight connections with the United States and its Western allies.

While most of the summit’s attention is on Ukraine, the leaders of Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada, and Italy are also working to address concerns about climate change, artificial intelligence, poverty, economic instability, and nuclear proliferation.

Isolated Russians criticized the G7 summit

The G7 summit was criticized by Sergey Lavrov, the foreign minister of Russia, for seeking to isolate China and Russia.

“The task has been set loudly and openly: to defeat Russia on the battlefield, but not to stop there, but to eliminate it as a geopolitical competitor. Look at the decisions that are now being discussed and adopted in Hiroshima, at the G7 summit, and which are aimed at the double containment of Russia and China,” Lavrov claimed.

Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, was meeting with local officials in Pyatigorsk, a city in southern Russia, while remaining distant from the other guests at a long table.

With an arrest order from the International Criminal Court hanging over his head and obstructing the possibility of travelling to many places, including those considered to be Moscow’s allies, he has experienced outstanding global isolation.

With Russia and its dictator more and more isolated in the world and with more military aid to Ukraine, Moscow’s final defeat on the battlefields in Ukraine seem to come closer.