adviser reports
Zelenskyj takes part in the G7 summit
05/19/2023 9:44 p.m
The guesswork over Ukraine’s president’s participation in the G7 summit is over. Volodymyr Zelenskyj will be in Hiroshima this weekend.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will attend the summit of the seven leading democratic economic powers (G7) in Hiroshima this weekend. This was confirmed by the head of the Ukrainian Presidential Office, Andriy Yermak, on Ukrainian television in the evening. “Yes, I can confirm that,” Yermak replied to a corresponding question.
Selenskyj wants to meet US President Joe Biden in Hiroshima, among others. First and foremost, the Ukrainian President wanted to talk to the US colleague about the participation of the United States in the so-called fighter jet coalition, which he announced. “Today I can officially speak about the formation of the aviation coalition, and that means that very soon Ukraine will have everything to protect its skies, cities and citizens,” Yermak said.
US President Biden had informed G7 leaders at Friday’s deliberations that the United States will support training Ukrainian pilots on fourth-generation fighter jets, including the F-16, according to a senior US official communicated. First, pilots should be trained. Then it will be decided when and how many aircraft will be delivered and who will make them available, he said. With the promise, Biden Zelenskyj is fulfilling a wish that was made months ago. So far, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark have supported this fighter jet coalition. France is also included, although the country does not have any F-16 jets.
Zelenskyj has welcomed US support for the so-called fighter jet coalition as a “historic decision”. “This will significantly strengthen our army in the sky,” Zelenskyy tweeted early Friday evening. “I look forward to discussing the practical implementation of this decision during the #G7 Summit in Hiroshima.” Ukraine has been asking its western partners for months for support with western-design fighter jets. It was about F-16 fighter jets, a versatile aircraft. Ukraine’s requests have always been rejected, and instead Kiev has received Soviet-made fighter jets from Poland and other former Eastern Bloc countries.