HIROSHIMA, Japan (Reuters) – Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Sunday drew a parallel between the destruction of Bakhmut and the horror of Hiroshima, evoking the symbolism of mass destruction as he wrapped up a surprise appearance at the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Japan.
UKRAINE
* U.S. President Joe Biden said he had received a “flat assurance” from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that he would not use Western-provided F-16 fighter jets to go into Russian territory.
* Zelenskiy said he was confident that Kyiv would receive supplies of F-16 fighter jets from the West to help repel Russia’s full-scale invasion of his country. “We will have the planes. I can’t say for now how many — it’s not a secret. I don’t know this myself,” he told a news conference.
* Meeting with Zelenskiy, Biden announced a $375 million package of military aid to Ukraine, telling him the U.S. was doing all it could to strengthen Ukraine’s defence against Russia.
* Zelenskiy sought support for Kyiv’s “peace formula” to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, telling G7 leaders at the summit in Hiroshima it was “an obvious expression of rationality”.
* Zelenskiy played down the fact he did not meet Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on the sidelines of the G7 summit on Sunday and said it was likely because of scheduling.
* Potential allied training programmes for Ukrainian pilots on F-16 warplanes were a message to Russia not to expect to succeed in its invasion of Ukraine even in a prolonged conflict, said German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
* Biden told G7 leaders that Washington supports the joint allied training programmes, senior U.S. officials said, a significant endorsement as Kyiv seeks to boost its air power against Russia.
* The Hiroshima summit gave Zelenskiy a chance to win over countries from the “Global South” such as Brazil and India in an attempt to broaden support for his country in its war against Russia.
* Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said G7 decisions at the summit were aimed at the “double containment” of Russia and China.
* Canada will support Ukraine for as long and as much as necessary in its conflict with Russia, including the training of Ukrainian soldiers and possibly pilots, said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
* Britain published plans to ban imports of Russian diamonds, copper, aluminium and nickel and announced a new wave of sanctions against Russia, targeting companies connected to the alleged theft of Ukrainian grain.
CHINA
* U.S. President Joe Biden on Sunday said the G7 nations had agreed a united approach to China that called for diversifying supply chains to reduce dependence on one country, and hinted that he could speak with China’s president soon.
* British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said China represents the world’s greatest challenge to security and prosperity, but other leading economies should not seek to fully decouple from it.
* G7 nations will ensure big investments in China continue even as they pare risky exposure to the world’s second-largest economy, said German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
* The G7 is looking to bridge a vast gap with emerging economies in the “Global South” by focussing on infrastructure and debt relief, officials say, part of a strategy to blunt China’s influence in lower-income countries.
* China firmly opposes the G7 joint statement out of Hiroshima and has complained to summit organiser Japan, the Chinese foreign ministry said.
ECONOMY, CLIMATE
* The International Energy Agency (IEA) does not expect moves by G7 nations to counter the evasion of price caps on Russian energy will change the supply situation for crude oil and oil products, IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said.
* The G7 leaders put support for gas investments back into their communique, calling it a “temporary” step as they try to de-couple from Russian energy, in a move climate activists say may hurt climate goals.
* G7 leaders agreed on an initiative to counter “economic coercion,” pledging action to ensure that any actors attempting to weaponise economic dependence would fail and face consequences.
* The G7 called for the development and adoption of international technical standards for “trustworthy” artificial intelligence (AI) as lawmakers of the rich countries focus on the new technology.
* G7 leaders reaffirmed their commitment to a highly decarbonised road sector by 2030 and committed to the goal of achieving net-zero emissions on roads by 2050.
REUTERS PODCAST
* What’s the G7 to do about China?
IN-DEPTH STORIES
* At Hiroshima G7, bomb survivors grapple with a disarmament dream deferred
* In her own words: A Hiroshima bomb survivor learns English to tell her story
* Japan’s G7 refugee balancing act: door open for Ukrainians, but not many others
(Compiled by Reuters editors)
