Ukrainian President Zelenskiy received new promises of arms aid at the Hiroshima summit. On the subject of China, the G7 backtracked. A balance.
Tokyo/Hiroshima. It was Saturday at 3:37 pm local time when a French government plane pulled up outside the terminal at Hiroshima Airport. On board the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky. From that moment on, the G7 summit changed routine – the meeting of heads of state and government from the US, Germany, Great Britain, France, Italy, Canada and Japan, as well as the EU, picked up speed. The final 52-page declaration was brought forward by one day, and Sunday was dedicated exclusively to the guest from Kiev.
Zelenskij deliberately skipped dinner on Saturday night, king crabs, caviar and red lobster do not suit the president of a country at war. At the Sunday morning work session, however, he sits with other bosses. Key issue: Kiev has long wanted modern F-16 fighters, which can only be passed along with American approval. US President Joe Biden has apparently given the green light to NATO partners. The Americans also want to train Ukrainian pilots and indicate a willingness to supply fighters themselves. It would be a turn of arms, much like what happened with main battle tanks before. In return, the US President received a concession from Zelensky not to use the F-16 for attacks on Russia. Zelensky hailed the “big decision”.