Saturday’s arrival of Volodymyr Zelensky at the G7 summit in Japan stole the show, as world leaders issued a veiled warning to China.
After a stopover in Saudi Arabia, the Ukrainian president arrived in Hiroshima on a government-owned French aircraft.
His hastily-organized visit prompted the G7 leaders to condemn Russia in an early statement.
They also warned against “economic coercion,” which Beijing is allegedly employing against multiple nations.
At this year’s gathering of the world’s wealthiest democracies, invitations were extended to several emergent economies in the so-called Global South, along with India and Australia.
The Ukraine conflict is at the top of the agenda, and Mr. Zelensky’s last-minute appearance has added weight, urgency, and star power to the discussions.
Mr. Zelensky arrived hours after Washington announced it would train Ukrainian pilots on American-made F-16 fighter jets and enable allies to provide the advanced warplanes to Kyiv, a move that was condemned by Russia but hailed as “historic” by Mr. Zelensky.
The previous day’s news cycle was dominated by a “will he or won’t he?” drama regarding Mr. Zelensky’s voyage to Japan. On Friday, as leaders visited a peace memorial park in Hiroshima, the announcement of his potential visit seized the spotlight.
But even as news outlets scrambled to corroborate it, Ukrainian officials sent mixed signals as to whether or not the Ukrainian leader would attend. Despite the fact that Mr. Zelensky and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida reportedly discussed his visit weeks ago, the final decision was made abruptly.
Even his precise arrival time was shrouded in secrecy until Japanese television stations broadcast live footage of him landing at Hiroshima airport on an aircraft lent to him by his close ally, French President Emmanuel Macron.
Mr. Zelensky was swift upon landing, sprinting down the stairs into a waiting car and rushing into one-on-one meetings with various global leaders, including the British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who greeted him with a friendly “You made it!”
Now that he is present, Mr. Zelensky’s presence not only enlivens the otherwise tranquil diplomatic proceedings, but also overshadows them.
However, it is improbable that G7 leaders will object. Their sanctions have failed thus far to halt the Russian invasion, and their pledge on Friday to “starve” Russia of resources for its “war machine” remains ambiguous.
However, the sight of world leaders standing shoulder to shoulder with Mr. Zelensky sends a clear message to Moscow that they mean business.
The leaders also intended to convey a message to Russia’s ally, China.
In addition to discussing important issues such as nuclear non-proliferation and climate change, their joint final statement emphasised their commitment to the Indo-Pacific region, which they attempted to demonstrate by inviting Indonesia, India, and the Cook Islands.
They called for a “free and open Indo-Pacific” in response to China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea.
Importantly, the leaders adopted a firm stance against “economic coercion” – the use of trade to bully other nations – and demanded that China “play by international rules.”
Underscoring their commitment to “economic resilience,” they pledged to “reduce excessive dependencies in our critical supply chains” – a reference to the fact that the G7 nations remain inextricably connected to China in trade.
They also stated that they desired “constructive and stable relations” with China and that their policies were “not intended to harm China nor to impede China’s economic development and progress.”
China expressed “strong dissatisfaction” with the G7’s joint statement on Saturday and lodged a complaint with Japan, according to Beijing’s foreign ministry.
“The G7 insisted on manipulating China-related issues, smearing and attacking China,” a foreign ministry spokesperson stated.
Mr. Zelensky, US Vice President Joe Biden, and Mr. Kishida are anticipated to speak on the final day of the summit, Sunday.
