Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky won on Sunday new promises of delivery of military materialas well as “unwavering” diplomatic support from G7 countries to Hiroshima, Japan after Russia claimed responsibility for Bakhmut’s capture, denied by Ukraine.
Head of state of Ukraine arrived in Hiroshima on Saturdaywhere he met the leaders of the seven most industrialized western economies (USA, Canada, Japan, France, UK, Germany and Italy), as well as other guests of the summit.
Shortly after its arrival, Moscow said it had captured Bakhmut, the scene of the longest and bloodiest battle since its invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.
Zelensky acknowledged that there were Russian troops in that city in the east of the country, but he insisted that the city “is not occupied”.
“nothing alive”
After placing flowers at a memorial to the victims of the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima, the Ukrainian president compared that attack to the current situation in Bakhmut.
“Hiroshima photos remind me of Bakhmut. There is absolutely nothing alive, all buildings are destroyed […] Absolute and total destruction,” he said.
But he has promised that, like Hiroshima, Ukraine will also recover.
This Sunday he met with US President Joe Biden who promised new Kiev shipments of weapons, ammunition and armored vehicles worth approximately $375 milliondays after allowing its allies to supply F-16 fighters to Ukraine.
Biden assured that Western countries that support Kiev “will not waver” in the face of the Russian offensive in Ukraine. “Putin will not break our resolve [de apoyar a Kiev] like I thought I could,” he said.
“The G7 leaders invited the top rank and file of the Kyivan regime, which they control, to their meeting and turned the Hiroshima event into a propaganda show“The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.
Zelenski’s presence in Hiroshima has placed the Russian invasion of Ukraine at the center of the G7 debates, overshadowing other issues such as the allies’ relations with China.
Solidarity
with this invitation “We have shown unwavering solidarity of the G7 with Ukraine,” said Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, host of the summit.
In their subsequent meetings, Zelensky tried to rally support for a ten-point peace plan, focused on calling on Russia to withdraw from Ukrainian territory.
But the Ukrainian president’s diplomatic offensive has not been fully accomplished: the Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva did not meet face to face with its Ukrainian counterpart.
Lula, who has been reluctant to condemn the Russian invasion, caused some controversy last month by declaring that the United States should stop “encouraging war”.
But, insulting the “violation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and calling for dialogue in group discussions, the Brazilian president criticized the countries of the United Nations Security Council this Sundaywhose permanent members are the United States, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom.
“The permanent members carry on a long tradition of waging unauthorized wars, whether for purposes of territorial expansion or regime change,” he said, alluding to the 2003 invasion of Iraq by the US-led coalition.
Zelenski indicated that he was unable to meet Lula due to a time incompatibility.
When asked if he was disappointed not to be able to speak directly with the Brazilian president, Zelensky replied: “I think he’s the one disappointed.”
He met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who said India would do “everything possible” to resolve the conflict, a pledge welcomed by Zelensky.
For his part, the head of the German government, Olaf Scholz, warned that “Russia must not bet that if it holds out long enough, support for Ukraine will end up weakening”.
The presence of the Ukrainian president in the G7 is “a way to build peace“French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday.
The Ukrainian president left Hiroshima on Sunday, according to the Japanese public channel NHK.
With Étienne Balmer. AFP agency
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.