G7 leaders on Saturday urged China to pressure the Kremlin to urge Russian troops to immediately leave Ukraine and end the war in that country. “We call on China to put pressure on Russia to stop its military aggression and immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw its troops from Ukraine,” the G7 leaders said in the final joint communique of their summit, which is being held in the city of Hiroshima, in the Japan. In addition, the Group of Seven “encouraged” China to support a “complete, just and lasting” peace in Ukraine based on territorial integrity and the principles contained in the founding charter of the United Nations. That peace, the statement added, must take place “in direct dialogue” with Ukraine.
China proposed a rather ambiguous peace plan, which won the support of Moscow, because, although it defends the territorial integrity of the countries, at no point does it allude to the Russian annexation of four Ukrainian regions or the withdrawal of Russian troops from the neighboring country. The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, presented his own peace plan that establishes, as conditions for the end of the war, the complete reestablishment of the territorial integrity of his country and an international agreement with security guarantees for the future. In their statement, the G7 leaders reiterated their support for Zelensky’s plan and included one of the most repeated phrases in their joint communications: “We reaffirm our unwavering support for Ukraine for as long as necessary to achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting peace.”
In addition to China, another highlight of the joint communiqué on Ukraine concerns the role that Iran played in the war by sending weapons to Russia. The G7 expressed “grave concern” about Iran’s “destabilizing” actions, especially the transfer to Russia of armed drones that were used in the war in Ukraine to carry out attacks against civilians and against Ukrainian infrastructure such as the power grid.
Group members announced a new round of sanctions to make Russia pay for the war in Ukraine and cut off its avenues for funding the invasion. This new wave of sanctions was led by the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, which detailed their new pressure measures coinciding with the joint declaration, while the member countries of the European Union (Germany, France and Italy) are preparing a new package of sanctions coordinates and Japan plans to announce similar measures in the near future.
Japan confirms Zelensky’s presence
Zelensky’s presence at the G7 leaders’ summit was confirmed by the Japanese Foreign Ministry. “Zelensky expressed his strong desire to attend this summit in person, and will hold a session on Ukraine with the G7 leaders, as well as participate as a guest in a session on peace and stability,” the Japanese foreign ministry said in a statement. The Ukrainian leader traveled to Japan on a French government plane from Jeddah airport, in Saudi Arabia, where he was to participate in a summit of Arab League heads of state. Initially it had been announced that Zelensky would participate by telematic means.
The Ukrainian’s agenda includes meetings with the Japanese Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, and with the President of the United States, Joe Biden. Zelensky is also expected to participate in discussions with G7 leaders on military support for Ukraine and possible peace talks, according to a European Union official. The European bloc believes that one of the most important aspects of the Ukrainian leader’s participation in the summit will be his direct access to dialogue with the leaders of other invited countries and, in particular, with the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, who is present as rotating president of the G20 – Zelensky has already met this Saturday with Indian and European leaders, such as the prime ministers of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak, and of Italy, Giorgia Meloni.
Biden wants to talk to Lula about Ukraine
The US president is expected to talk about the war in Ukraine with Modi and President Lula during the G7 summit. The information was given by the White House National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, this Saturday, in an interview with the US press center in Hiroshima. In particular, according to Sullivan, Biden is eager to speak with the leaders about the “constructive role” that Brazil and India can play in defending and supporting the “sacrosanct” principle of state sovereignty, as contained in the Charter of the United Nations.
So far, Biden’s agenda does not include a bilateral meeting with Modi and Lula; therefore, these conversations could take place within the framework of meetings of world leaders during the G7. Joe Biden’s government has maintained a somewhat tense relationship with India and Brazil since the start of the war in Ukraine in February 2022, because these countries continue to negotiate with Russia, despite Western attempts to isolate Moscow. Specifically, Lula’s recent statements have generated discomfort in the Biden government. During a visit to China last month, Lula said the US was “fostering” the war, prompting a scathing response from the White House, which accused him of “repeating like a parrot” Russian-China propaganda on the conflict.
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