Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday expressed hope that “peace will come closer” after the G7 summit meetings, in a message he issued when he arrived in the Japanese city of Hiroshima.
“Japan. G7. Important meetings with Ukraine’s partners and friends. More security and cooperation for our victory. Today, peace will come closer,” Zelensky said on social media.
The Ukrainian leader is expected to participate in meetings of the group of the world’s seven most industrialized democracies and hold bilateral talks with several leaders present in Hiroshima.
Meetings are scheduled, among others, with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and with US Presidents Joe Biden and French Presidents Emmanuel Macron, according to AFP.
Zelensky will also be able to exchange impressions with the major non-aligned emerging powers, such as Brazil and especially India, which maintains close military relations with Russia and has refused to condemn the invasion of Ukraine.
For the Hiroshima Summit, the G7 invited the leaders of Brazil, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Australia, the Cook Islands and Vietnam, and organizations such as the UN, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
The G7 unites Germany, Canada, the United States, France, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom, as well as the European Union (EU).
It is Zelensky’s first visit to the region since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
Zelensky traveled to Japan from Saudi Arabia, where he addressed the 22-nation Arab League summit on Friday.
At the start of the Hiroshima summit on Friday, heads of state and government approved new sanctions against Russia to try to reduce Moscow’s ability to fund the war against Ukraine.
The conflict in Ukraine plunged Europe into what is considered the worst security crisis since World War II (1939-1945).
The number of dead and injured since the start of the war is unknown, but several sources, including the UN, have admitted it will be high.
Source: DN
