The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has arrived in Japan to discuss greater military support from the US and other G7 countries as his forces prepare for a major counteroffensive in the war with Russia.
Zelenskiy, who had been expected to appear via video link, arrived in Hiroshima, where the G7 leaders are meeting, on a French government plane on Saturday afternoon amid heavy security.
Wearing his familiar olive-green hoodie, he was seen exiting the aircraft, before a day of bilateral and group talks with G7 and other leaders as part of his latest campaign to boost international support for Kyiv.
Moments after his arrival he tweeted: “Japan. G7. Important meetings with partners and friends of Ukraine. Security and enhanced cooperation for our victory. Peace will become closer today.”
UK sources said it was Sunak’s suggestion that Zelenskiy should come to the G7 to make his case in person, adding that he had made this proposal in a phone call about a month ago. Sunak’s official spokesperson said: “It is an opportunity for President Zelenskiy to address a lot of world leaders in one place at a time when western leaders are aligned.”
In their final communique – released a day earlier than expected – the G7 leaders reaffirmed their support for Ukraine.
“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,” it said. “We reaffirm our unwavering support for Ukraine for as long as it takes to bring a comprehensive, just and lasting peace.”
Zelenskiy’s arrival in Hiroshima comes a day after the White House announced it would permit allied countries to supply Ukraine with US-built F-16 fighter planes. Before leaving for Japan, Zelenskiy described the decision as “historic”, adding that he looked forward to “discussing the practical implementation” with G7 countries.
The White House said Joe Biden was “looking forward” to meeting Zelenskiy at the summit, with the US national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, saying it was a “safe bet” that the pair would meet. “The president looks forward to the opportunity to be able to sit down face-to-face,” he said.
The summit began on Friday with a group visit to a museum devoted to the horrors of the US atomic bombing of the city in August 1945 and a memorial to the hundreds of thousands of people who died as a result of the attack.
Amid concerns over Russia’s refusal to rule out the use of tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine, Zelenskiy is also expected to visit the peace museum and cenotaph, Japanese media reported.
In their communique, the G7 leaders said they were committed “to achieving a world without nuclear weapons with undiminished security for all, through taking a realistic, pragmatic, and responsible approach. We reaffirm the importance of disarmament and non-proliferation efforts to create a more stable and safer world”.
Sullivan said the F-16 transfers would not upset the balance Washington wanted in supporting Ukraine “in a way that avoids world war three”.
“The United States is not enabling or supporting attacks on Russian territory,” he said, “and the Ukrainians have consistently indicated that they are prepared to follow through on that.”
Ukraine is expected to dominate discussions on Sunday, a day after the G7 announced new sanctions targeting the Kremlin.
Zelenskiy’s visit will also give him a rare opportunity to speak to the leaders of powerful non-aligned countries, including Brazil and India, who have declined to condemn Russia’s invasion.
Japan’s foreign ministry said Zelenskiy would participate in Ukraine talks with G7 leaders on Sunday and attend a session on “peace and stability” that will also include invited non-member countries.
The war in Ukraine has raised fears that China, which has been increasing its nuclear arsenal, could be emboldened to invade Taiwan. Beijing regards the island as a renegade province and has threatened to bring it under its control, by force if necessary.
In a reference to China, the communique reiterated the importance of a “free and open Indo-Pacific, which is inclusive, prosperous, secure, based on the rule of law, and that protects shared principles including sovereignty, territorial integrity, peaceful resolution of disputes, and fundamental freedoms and human rights”.
A crisis in the Taiwan strait – a vitally important trading route – would create havoc for the global economy and possibly lead to a wider conflict.
Taiwan’s president, Tsai Ing-wen, said on Saturday that the island would not provoke China or bow to pressure from Beijing.
“War is not an option. Neither side can unilaterally change the status quo with non-peaceful means,” Tsai said in a speech to mark her seventh year in office. “Maintaining the status quo of peace and stability is the consensus for both the world and Taiwan.”
On Saturday, G7 leaders also agreed on a new initiative to counter economic coercion and pledged action to deter “actors” – widely believed to include China and Russia – from threatening trade boycotts for political reasons with a new body to deal with “economic coercion”.
But they said they were not seeking a policy designed to harm China or hinder its economic progress. “We are not decoupling or turning inwards,” the communique said. “At the same time, we recognise that economic resilience requires de-risking and diversifying.”
Sunak’s official spokesperson said the UK was pleased with the G7 position on China, as it reflected the challenges posed by the country. “The language is detailed and strong. This was a priority for the UK to thread the needle on the China language aligned to what the PM has said previously,” he said.
“The world has encountered a disturbing rise in incidents of economic coercion that seek to exploit economic vulnerabilities,” G7 leaders said in a statement that also committed them to deepen cooperation on hardening supply chains, and called for a bigger role for lower-income countries in promoting economic resilience.
“Supply chain disruptions have had devastating impact for developing, emerging, and advanced economies alike,” they said, and urged countries to adhere to the principles of “transparency, diversification, security, sustainability, and trustworthiness and reliability” in building supply chain networks.
Agencies contributed reporting
