Zelenskiy arrives in Hiroshima, Japan, to “talk with friends” By Reuters

By Jeff Mason and Katya Golubkova

HIROSHIMA, Japan (Reuters) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy arrived in the Japanese city of Hiroshima on Saturday to meet with the leaders of the world’s wealthiest democracies and rally support for defending his country against a Russian invasion.

Zelenskiy’s presence at the Group of Seven summit in a city that was the first to suffer a nuclear attack highlighted Western governments’ concerns about the nuclear threat posed by Russia.

The Hiroshima summit comes as G7 members grapple with the immense challenges posed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and tensions with China, particularly over Taiwan.

Zelenskiy, dressed in his usual olive-green uniform, stepped off a French government plane and hurried to a waiting car, footage from Japanese broadcasters showed.

Moments later he tweeted: “Japan. G7. Important meetings with Ukrainian partners and friends.”

His arrival comes after G7 members warned that countries that try to weaponize trade would face “consequences”, sending a strong signal to China about practices Washington has long said amount to economic bullying. .

French and European officials said it was crucial that Zelenskiy come in person first to the Arab League and now to the G7, where members of the Global South attend, to outline the vision of Ukraine as the victim of a Russian attack and how he viewed a peace deal. peace in the future.

“We have to use all means to unite the non-aligned states in the cause of defending Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” a French presidential official told reporters.

Zelenskiy will hold bilateral meetings with the G7 leaders, but significantly also with the leaders of India and Brazil, two countries that have not distanced themselves from Moscow.

He is scheduled to hold a session on Sunday with the G7 before a broader session with attendees from the Global South.