Zelenskyy to Attend G7 in Person, Say Government Sources

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:41 JST, May 19, 2023

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is likely to visit Japan to attend a G7 summit session on the Ukraine situation in person on Sunday, several Japanese government sources have said. Zelenskyy is expected to arrive in Japan on Saturday at the earliest.

If realized, it would be Zelenskyy’s first trip to Asia since the outbreak of the Russian invasion in February last year. During the visit, he is likely to meet with G7 leaders separately. He might also visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.

Oleksiy Danilov, the secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, confirmed to a Ukrainian broadcaster Friday Zelenskyy’s plan to visit Japan, and said the president’s attendance was extremely important from the perspective of protecting Ukraine’s national interests.

Zelenskyy visited Saudi Arabia and attended an Arab League summit Friday. The Ukrainian president recently completed a whirlwind tour of Europe, visiting Italy, Germany, France and the United Kingdom from May 13-15.

In Hiroshima, Zelenskyy is expected to urge G7 leaders to strengthen sanctions against Russia and provide additional military assistance, including U.S.-made F-16 jets.

His visit to the atomic-bombed city may also be intended to convey the message that not only Ukraine but the world faces the threat of nuclear weapons, as the Russian regime continues to rattle its nuclear saber.

India, which has close ties with Russia, has also been invited to the summit. Attention will be focused on whether Zelenskyy holds talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the summit.