Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived Saturday in Japan for diplomatic talks with the leaders of the world’s most powerful democracies as they tighten sanctions meant to punish Moscow over its 15-month invasion of Ukraine.
Zelenskyy’s decision to visit Hiroshima stems from his “strong wish” to participate in talks with the Group of Seven and other countries that will influence his nation’s defense against Russia, host nation Japan said.
Bolstering international support is a key priority for Ukraine as it prepares for what is seen as a major push intended to take back territory seized by Russia in the war that began in February last year. Zelenskyy’s visit comes just hours after the U.S. agreed to allow training on potent American-made fighter jets, laying the groundwork for their eventual transfer to Ukraine.
“Japan. G7. Important meetings with partners and friends of Ukraine. Security and enhanced cooperation for our victory. Peace will become closer today,” Zelenskyy tweeted upon his arrival on a plane provided by France.
An EU official, speaking on condition of anonymity to brief reporters on the deliberations, said Zelenskyy will take part in two separate sessions 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 the other nations invited to take part in the summit, and will focus on “peace and stability.”
U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said that President Joe Biden and Zelenskyy would have direct engagement at the summit. On Friday, Biden announced his support for training Ukrainian pilots on U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets, a precursor to eventually providing those aircraft to Ukraine’s Air Force.
The G7 vowed to intensify the pressure in its joint statement Saturday.
“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.
World leaders have faced a balancing act at the G7 in Hiroshima as they look to address a raft of global worries demanding urgent attention, including climate change, AI, poverty and economic instability, nuclear proliferation and, above all, the war in Ukraine.
China, the world’s No. 2 economy, sits at the nexus of many of those concerns.
There is increasing anxiety in Asia that Beijing, which has been steadily building up its nuclear weapons program, could try to seize Taiwan by force, sparking a wider conflict. China claims the self-governing island as its own and regularly sends ships and warplanes near it.
The G7 leaders issued a statement warning that China’s “accelerating build-up of its nuclear arsenal without transparency (or) meaningful dialogue poses a concern to global and regional stability.”
“We do seek to cooperate with China on matters of mutual interest,” Sullivan said of the statement. “We will work to address our significant concerns that we have with China in a range of areas.”
North Korea, which has been testing missiles at a torrid pace in an attempt to perfect a nuclear program meant to target the mainland United States, must completely abandon its nuclear bomb ambitions, the leaders’ statement said, “including any further nuclear tests or launches that use ballistic missile technology. North Korea cannot and will never have the status of a nuclear-weapon State under” international nuclear treaties.
The green light on F-16 training is the latest shift by the Biden administration as it moves to arm Ukraine with more advanced and lethal weaponry, following earlier decisions to send rocket launcher systems and Abrams tanks. The United States has insisted that it is sending weapons to Ukraine to defend itself and has discouraged attacks by Ukraine into Russian territory.
“We’ve reached a moment where it is time to look down the road again to say what is Ukraine going to need as part of a future force, to be able to deter and defend against Russian aggression as we go forward,” Sullivan said.
The G7 leaders have rolled out a new wave of global sanctions on Moscow as well as plans to enhance the effectiveness of existing financial penalties meant to constrain President Vladimir Putin’s war effort. Russia is now the most-sanctioned country in the world, but there are questions about the effectiveness.
“Our support for Ukraine will not waver,” the G7 leaders said in a statement released after closed-door meetings. They vowed “to stand together against Russia’s illegal, unjustifiable and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine.”
“Russia started this war and can end this war,” they said.
Zelenskyy has consistently called for Western fighter jets to bolster his country’s defenses. As Ukraine has improved its air defenses with a host of Western-supplied anti-aircraft systems and prepares to launch a counteroffensive against Russia, officials believe the jets could become essential to the country’s long-term security.
Biden’s decisions on when, how many, and who will provide the fourth-generation F-16 fighter jets will be made in the months ahead while the training is underway, Biden told leaders.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida separately held talks Saturday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, which is hosting the gathering of G20 world leaders later this year. During their meeting, Kishida emphasized that attempts to change by force shouldn’t be tolerated anywhere in the world — a possible reference to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and a warning to China over Taiwan.
India, the world’s largest democracy, has been measured in its comments on the war in Ukraine, and has avoided outright condemnation of Russia’s invasion. While India maintains close ties with the U.S. 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 firms involved in the war effort. More than 125 individuals and organizations across 20 countries have been hit with U.S. sanctions.
In addition, new reporting requirements were issued for people and firms that have any interest in Russian Central Bank assets. The purpose is to “fully map holdings of Russia’s sovereign assets that will remain immobilized in G7 jurisdictions until Russia pays for the damage it has caused to Ukraine,” the U.S. Treasury Department said.
The G7 nations said that they would work to keep Russia from using the international financial system to prosecute its war, and they urged other nations to stop providing Russia with support and weapons “or face severe costs.”
The leaders began the summit with a visit to a peace park dedicated to the tens of thousands who died in the world’s first wartime atomic bomb detonation. Kishida, who represents Hiroshima in parliament, wants nuclear disarmament to be a major focus of discussions.
Biden, who scrapped plans to travel on to Papua New Guinea and Australia after his stay in Japan so that he can get back to debt limit talks in Washington, arranged to meet Saturday on the G-7 sidelines with leaders of the so-called Quad partnership, made up of Japan, Australia, India and the United States.
The G7 leaders are also to discuss efforts to strengthen the global economy and address rising prices that are squeezing families and government budgets around the world, particularly in developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
A U.S. official said the leaders on Saturday would issue a joint communique outlining new projects in the G7’s global infrastructure development initiative, which is meant to offer countries an alternative to China’s investment dollars.
The G7 includes Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada and Italy, as well as the European Union.
Follow us on:
Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour has condemned the commercialisation of GMO seeds, warning of threats to Nigeria’s food…
Oleksandr Usyk has secured victory over Tyson Fury in Riyadh, successfully defending his heavyweight championship…
Albania plans a one-year TikTok ban from January after a schoolboy’s death sparks concerns over…
A suspect accused of killing five people by driving into a crowded Christmas market in…
A US Navy F/A-18 Hornet was mistakenly shot down over the Red Sea by the…
NNPC has reduced petrol ex-depot price to N899 per litre, sparking competition with Dangote Refinery…
View Comments
government of nigerian IMPOUNDED VEHICLES FOR SALE IN A CHEAP AND AFFORDABLE AUCTION PRICE INTERESTED BUYER SHOULD KINDLY CONTACT OFFICER
NIGERIA CUSTOM {2023 /2024 } REPLACEMENT//RECRUI TMENT FORM IS OUT BAGS OF RICE 18,500 VEGETABLE OIL 25. LITTER 10,000
TOKUMBO VEHICLE FOR SALE AT AUCTION PRICE INTERESTED BUYER SHOULD CONTACT OFFICER MrsEze [O7O 4540 6674 ]
CARS FEATURES AND PRICE BELOW
GOLF 2,3,4,5 #350,000 TOYOTA CAMRY BIG DADDY #550,000 TOYOTA CAMRY TINYLIGH= #350,000 TOYOTA CAMRY MUSCLE= #850,000 TOYOTA CAMRY PENCILLIGHT=#400,000 TOYOTA COROLLA le=#550,000 TOYOTA COROLLA S=#750,000 TOYOTA VENZA=#950,00 1.8m TOYOTA Hilux 1.5 million TOYOTA AVALON #800,000 TOYOTA AVENSIS #700,000 TOYOTA RAV4 800,000 TOYOTA SIENNA #650,000 TOYOTA 4runner#850,000 TOYOTA TUNDRA 1.9m TOYOTA PICNIC #550,000 TOYOTA Highlander #950,000 TOYOTA PADRO JEEP 1.6m TOYOTA LAND CRUISER=1.5m TOYOTA YARIS #459,000 TOYOTA MATRIX #650,000 TOYOTA HAICE BUS #950,000 ACCURA ZDX 1.6m ACCURA MDX 1.9m HONDA PILOT #950,00 HONDA BABY BOY #550,000 HONDA END OF DISCUSSION 600,000 HONDA ACCORD #450,000 Honda CR-V #850,000 INFINITY fx450 #750,000 to 1.4m NISSAN MURANO #650,00 LEXUS RX 350 #1.2m LEXUS RS 330 # 1m LEXUS RS 300 # 900,000 LEXUS RX 470 1.5m All NEGOTIABLE WE RENDER GOOD SERVICE TO CUSTOMER ....{ E.T .C}
LOCATION AT OGUN STATE IDIROKO BORDER WE HAVE TWO OPTION ELDER WE DELIVERY OR YOU COME OVER IF WE HAVE TO COME OVER WE NEED THIS FROM YOU
{1} NATIONAL ID CARD {2} BORDER PERMIT {3} INSPECTION DOCUMENTS {4} 2PASSPORT
THANKS FOR YOUR PATRONAGE WE
DELIVER TO 36 STATE IN NIGERIA AND ALSO COME DOWN WITH THE FULL PAYMENT CALL FOR MORE INFORMATION {O7O 4540 6674 }WE ALSO HAVE TRUCKS FOR SALE!!!! EVERY BUYER IS EXPECTED TO PAY FOR THE DOCUMENTS OF THE VEHICLES BEFORE THE DELIVERY WILL COMMENCE!!!! WE DELIVER NATION WIDE NOTICE INSTALMENTAL PAYMENT IS ALLOWED!!!!!! THANKS FOR PATRONIZING WITH US.!!!