“Physical Presence Matters”
Zelenskyj travels to the G7 summit in Japan
05/19/2023, 10:20 am
Despite the increased risk, the Ukrainian President is traveling to Japan for the G7 summit. There he will ask for further support in the fight against the Russian attackers – but also in the fighter jets, which the USA has so far refused.
According to information from Kiev, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will personally attend the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan. “Very important things are decided there, so the physical presence of our president is absolutely important to represent our interests,” said Secretary of the National Security Council Oleksiy Danilov on Ukrainian television.
“Because when you are somewhere far away there, on the other side of the ocean, they don’t always feel and understand what is happening in the vastness of our country. It is the physical presence of our President that is extremely important at such events,” continued Danilov. Originally it was said that the Ukrainian President would be connected to the G7 summit via video.
The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine is one of the main topics of the deliberations in Hiroshima, which will last until Sunday. The G7 group includes the USA, Japan, Germany, Great Britain, France, Italy and Canada as well as the European Union. Selenskyj had recently traveled through the European G7 countries and had sought further support from the partners during visits to Rome, Berlin, Paris and London.
More sanctions against Russia
In view of the war, trips by the Ukrainian President are associated with a high level of risk and enormous security requirements, as well as with careful consideration of whether the war events will allow Zelenskyj to be absent. This applies once again to a long journey halfway around the world, such as to Japan. Participation in the Hiroshima Summit is therefore of particular importance.
Selenskyj is likely to try in Hiroshima to secure further support for his country. Western partners are supporting Ukraine in a large-scale defense against Russia with weapons and ammunition. Kiev has further demands and asks, among other things, for Western-style fighter jets, above all for American-made F-16 aircraft. The USA has so far stood in the way. Pressure from several European countries had recently brought new movement into the discussion.
The West has also imposed unprecedented sanctions on Russia since the war began, to put economic pressure on the country and cut off Moscow from revenue streams to finance the war. These include far-reaching trade restrictions. Various new punitive measures were announced at the G7 summit in Hiroshima.