The leaders of the Group of Seven countries held talks Sunday on Ukraine joined by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who is in Hiroshima also. It comes as the G-7 leaders seek support from middle powers such as India and Brazil, which have taken more neutral positions on Russia’s war.
China and Russia — both uninvited — have loomed large at the meeting of leaders of the seven wealthy democracies. Host Japan invited guests from developing nations as the group tries to reach out to the Global South, while also looking to decrease its exposure to Beijing in supply chains for crucial materials needed to power their economies.
The leaders of Japan and South Korea paid their respects on Sunday at a memorial for Korean victims of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. It was another display of warming ties that has helped their mutual US ally as it seeks cooperation on security and economic issues.
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(All times JST)
Macron Says Ukraine Can Speak on Bakhmut (10:16 a.m.)
French President Emmanuel Macron said it’s to up to Ukrainians to comment on “developments on the ground of their forces” after Russia claimed that the Wagner private military force had taken Bakhmut after months of grueling fighting over the city. Ukrainian officials said earlier “fierce fighting” was still raging.
Talking to reporters in Hiroshima, Macron stressed that he’d refrain from further comments because he’d rather remain “extremely cautious.”
Ukraine Recap: Russia Claims Wagner Forces Seized Bakhmut
Macron also said the G-7 meeting was a good opportunity to speak with the leaders of India and Brazil about Ukraine. India has been one of the prime buyers of Russian oil and weapons, providing hard currency to Vladimir Putin’s government at a time when the G-7 is seeking to starve it of funds.
Scholz Says US to Make Call on F-16s (9:45 a.m.)
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told reporters it was a US decision to make on what would happen with F-16s after training is done for Ukrainian pilots to fly the fighter jets. US President Joe Biden has dropped his reluctance on sending F-16s to Ukraine after months of pressure from Kyiv and allied governments, announcing Washington would support efforts to train Ukrainian pilots.
“The decision about the actual sending of F-16s will come at a much later point,” Scholz told reporters.
In a separate interview, Scholz said he was sure that even those countries that haven’t publicly supported Ukraine, like Brazil and India, realized that Russia was the aggressor in the conflict. “They know very well what’s going on,” Scholz told public broadcaster ZDF.
US Allows Ukraine to Train On F-16s as Biden Eases Reluctance
Yoon and Kishida Show Unity at Memorial (8:10 a.m.)
Yoon and Kishida laid flowers at a memorial for Korean atomic bomb victims, a display of the warming ties that have helped cooperation with their mutual US ally.
Yoon has taken steps to try to resolve disputes rooted in Japan’s 1910-1945 colonial occupation of the Korean Peninsula so that the two can work more closely with the US to stave off threats from North Korea. The joint visit is seen as a show of willingness by Kishida to acknowledge Japan’s colonial past, as well as draw attention to the horrors of nuclear war.
Yoon, Kishida Show Unity at Memorial for Korean A-bomb Victims
Leaders Lay Wreaths at Bombing Memorial (9:00 a.m.)
Kishida and leaders from countries invited to join the G-7 meeting laid wreaths at the monument to remember the victims of the US atomic bomb attack on Hiroshima, which killed about 140,000 people and led to the end of World War II.
Ukraine Leader May Visit Hiroshima A-Bomb Museum (7:10 p.m.)
Japan is trying to arrange for Zelenskiy to visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum on Sunday, national public broadcaster NHK reported. The facility was visited by G-7 leaders on Friday. It recounts the devastation of the nuclear attack on the city in 1945 and has taken on a greater symbolic role as Putin has threatened to use nuclear weapons in his war on Ukraine.
Zelenskiy is also expected to deliver comments later in the day after the summit wrapped up.
G-7 Seeks Stable China Ties While ‘De-risking’ (2:14 p.m.)
G-7 leaders said they wanted “constructive and stable” relations with China even as they pushed ahead with steps to reduce dependence on Beijing for critical supply chains, according to the final communique.
“Our policy approaches are not designed to harm China nor do we seek to thwart China’s economic progress and development,” said the communique.
G-7 Seeks Stable China Ties While ‘De-risking,’ Communique Says
