1 of 5 | Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky arrives at Hiroshima Airport in Japan on Saturday on the second day of the G7 Summit. Photo by Ukrainian President Press Office/EPA-EFE
May 20 (UPI) -- Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky arrived at the Group of Seven Summit in Japan on Saturday where he sought more support for his county as its forces prepare for a counteroffensive against Russian invaders.
After touching down in Hiroshima at 3:30 p.m. local time, Zelensky met with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, French President Emmanuel Macron and European Council President Charles Michel.
"Important meetings with partners and friends of Ukraine," Zelensky said in a Telegram post. "Security and increased cooperation for our victory. Today, peace will be closer."
The Ukrainian leader said he and Sunak "discussed the further implementation" of the agreements the two leaders reached during negotiations held in Britain on Monday, after which Sunak confirmed the provision of hundreds of air defense missiles and new long-range attack drones with a range of more than 125 miles.
The new weapons are to be delivered over the matter of months as Ukrainian forces prepare to ramp up their counteroffensive.
After his meeting with Italy's Meloni, Zelensky said the two discussed "defense and political support of Ukraine from Italy" in the wake his visit to Rome on Sunday, where he met with Meloni, other Italian political leaders and Pope Francis.
The "first results" from that visit were discussed in Japan, the Ukrainian leader said, adding that "it is necessary to improve the air defense capabilities, including the training of our pilots."
Zelensky's meeting with Modi, meanwhile, marked the first time the leaders had met since the start of Russia's invasion with Ukraine. The two leaders discussed Ukraine's "needs in humanitarian de-mining and mobile hospitals" and Zelensky urged India to support his proposed 10-point peace plan to end the war, which he issued in November.
The G7 countries together expressed continued strong support for Ukraine in an official communique issued Saturday, vowing to the back the nation "for as long as it takes in the face of Russia's illegal war of aggression."
In the document, the Western nations also expressed serious concern about the situation between China and Taiwan, stating their strong opposition to any unilateral attempts to "change the status quo by force or coercion" and noting the "importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait."
The G7 nations urged China to use its influence on Russia "to stop its military aggression, and immediately, completely" withdraw troops from Ukraine while also seeking to engage Beijing on climate change and biodiversity issues.
In the communique, the Western nations vowed to strengthen disarmament and non-proliferation efforts in seeking to establish a world without nuclear weapons "with undiminished security for all."
