President Volodymyr Zelensky met with world leaders at the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Hiroshima on May 20, including U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and European Council President Charles Michel.
Zelensky said he and Sunak discussed the further implementation of the agreements reached during their negotiations in the U.K. on May 14, as well as the “development of bilateral relations” between the two countries.
With Meloni, Zelensky said he discussed the continuation of dialogue between the two countries regarding defense and political support, especially with respect to improving Ukraine’s air defense capabilities.
Zelensky’s meeting with Modi marked the first time the leaders had met since the start of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. Zelensky said they spoke about Ukraine’s needs with respect to demining and mobile hospitals, as well as Ukraine’s proposed peace formula, which he invited India to join.
“I thank India for supporting our country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, in particular, at the platforms of international organizations, and for providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine,” Zelensky said in a Tweet.
Modi tweeted: “Conveyed our clear support for dialogue and diplomacy to find a way forward. We will continue extending humanitarian assistance to the people of Ukraine.”
Zelensky met with French President Emmanuel Macron and discussed France's support for the proposed coalition of fighter jets and the country's efforts at training Ukrainian pilots.
According to Zelensky, he and Michel discussed the implementation of the European Commission’s recommendations to begin negotiations regarding Ukraine’s future EU accession. He noted that “particular attention was paid to the issue of export restrictions on Ukrainian grain products by a number of European Union countries and the inadmissability of their extension after June 5.”
In a Tweet later that day, Michel said: “Ukraine is unbreakable. So is our support and friendship. Slava Ukraini.”
Zelensky arrived in Hiroshima, Japan, for the G7 summit earlier on May 20. The president made a surprise decision to join the summit following a busy week of diplomatic visits, including to London, Berlin, and, most recently, to Jeddah.
The G7 nations, which include the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Canada, are among the leading backers of Ukraine against Russia’s ongoing aggression. The war is high of the summit’s agenda. Partners have agreed to tighten sanctions against Moscow, expand financial aid to Ukraine, and cooperate to provide Kyiv with the much-desired F-16 fighter jets.
Asami Terajima
