Jacques Serais (special envoy to Hiroshima)
modified to
6:50 p.m., May 20, 2023
It was aboard an Airbus A330 from the French Republic that Volodymyr Zelensky traveled to the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan, where the leaders of the seven main industrialized democracies are meeting. A surprise visit orchestrated by France and which was prepared, in secret, in the last moments.
He was, a priori, not on the guest list. And yet, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky did indeed travel to Hiroshima in Japan, where the G7 summit is currently being held. A surprise visit to the seven leaders of the main industrialized democracies, skilfully orchestrated by… France. Off the microphone, several advisers from the Élysée indicate how everything was prepared, in secret, in the very last moments.
Last Sunday, during his visit to Paris, Volodymyr Zelensky discussed this upcoming summit with Emmanuel Macron. But at this point, nothing is finalized yet. It was only at the beginning of last week that Paris made contact with Tokyo. “We were able to convince the Japanese presidency to invite President Zelensky,” says a close friend of the head of state.
A two-step flight
Once the invitation was confirmed, Volodymyr Zelensky and his delegation asked France to provide safe transport. “They asked us on Wednesday for a Thursday departure. We went to pick them up at the Polish border,” explains an adviser. On board the A330 of the French Republic, Volodymyr Zelensky was able to find a familiar face in the person of Isabelle Dumont, continental Europe adviser to Emmanuel Macron and former French ambassador to Kiev.
The flight took place in two stages. The aircraft first landed in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, after a four and a half hour flight, to allow the Ukrainian leader to travel to the Arab League summit. The craft then flew towards Hiroshima. A 14-hour trip during which Volodymyr Zelensky “slept a lot”, we say, but also prepared with “very great concentration” this G7 to try in particular to rally India, Brazil and even Europe to his cause. ‘Indonesia. These three countries, invited to the margins of this summit, still refuse to impose sanctions against Russia.