Zelenskyy arrives Japan to attend G7 Hiroshima summit after F-16 fighter jets promise

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived in Hiroshima to participate in the Group of Seven leaders’ summit. This is his first trip to Asia since Russia’s invasion began in February last year.

The plane carrying Zelenskyy arrived in Hiroshima on Saturday, May 20 for him to attend the Group of Seven nations’ meetings in Hiroshima, Japan.

Japan’s government says he will join G7 leaders at two sessions on Sunday — one dealing directly with the war in Ukraine, the other an outreach session on global peace and stability that will include non-G7 leaders.

He is also expected to meet one-on-one with Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio as well as US President Joe Biden.

Upon his arrival, he wrote on Twitter: “Japan. G7. Important meetings with partners and friends of Ukraine. Security and enhanced cooperation for our victory. Peace will become closer today.”

Zelenskyy is scheduled to hold bilateral talks on the sidelines of the G7 summit with world leaders, including U.S. President Joe Biden, summit host Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Modi is set to host the Group of 20 largest economies in New Delhi later this year.

The group had announced it will provide Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets and train Ukrainian pilots to fly them. The move was a shift from Biden’s monthslong refusal of Zelenskyy’s request for the aircraft.

A senior administration official said on Friday Biden informed G7 leaders that the United States will support a joint effort with allies and partners to train Ukrainian pilots on fourth-generation fighter aircraft, including F-16s, to further strengthen and improve the capabilities of the Ukrainian air force.

The training, set to begin in the coming weeks, will take place at sites in Europe and require months to complete, said the official.

“As the training unfolds, in the coming months, we will work with our allies to determine when planes will be delivered, who will be delivering them and how many,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said during a Saturday press briefing in Hiroshima.

Sullivan said the fighter jets will not be used for a planned counteroffensive against Russia.

Zelenskyy welcomed Biden’s decision, saying in a tweet it would “greatly enhance our army in the sky.”

Describing the plans to train Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16 jet fighters as a “historic decision,” Zelenskyy said he would discuss the details with Biden when they meet Sunday.

In a statement, the group pledged to “mobilize all our policy instruments and, together with Ukraine, make every effort to bring a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine as soon as possible,” underscoring that it cannot be realized without “the complete and unconditional withdrawal of Russian troops.”

The G7 leaders meeting is billed to wind down on Sunday after the final declaration of the talks in Hiroshima, Japan.

LENS, wire report