Volodymyr Zelensky made a scene-stealing arrival at the G7 summit in Japan on Saturday, as world leaders issued a veiled warning to China.

Following a layover in Saudi Arabia, the president of Ukraine boarded a French government aircraft and landed in Hiroshima.

The G7 leaders chastised Russia in an early statement they released as a result of his hurriedly planned visit.

They also issued a warning against Beijing’s alleged use of “economic coercion” against a number of other nations.

The world’s wealthiest democracies invited several growing economies from the so-called Global South, along with Australia and India, to their annual meeting this year.

The war in Ukraine is at the top of the agenda, and Mr. Zelensky’s impromptu appearance has given talks more weight, urgency, and star power.

He arrived a few hours after Washington announced it would train Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets manufactured in the United States and permit allies to supply Kyiv with the cutting-edge aircraft, a decision that was denounced by Russia but welcomed as “historic” by Mr. Zelensky.

Important queries while the US backs fighter aircraft in Ukraine
The news cycle has been dominated by a “will he or won’t he” drama around Mr. Zelensky’s travel to Japan for the past twenty-four hours. Just as officials were visiting a peace memorial park in Hiroshima on Friday, rumors about his potential visit surfaced and quickly gained prominence.

However, there were conflicting indications from Ukrainian officials regarding the arrival of the Ukrainian leader even as media outlets frantically tried to corroborate it. It was a sign that the final decision was taken quickly, even though Mr. Zelensky and Japanese PM Fumio Kishida had allegedly discussed his visit in conversations weeks prior.

His precise arrival time was also unknown until live images of him landing at Hiroshima airport on a plane that French President Emmanuel Macron, a close ally, had lent him appeared abruptly on Japanese TV channels.

After landing quickly, Mr. Zelensky dashed down the stairs into a waiting limousine and went straight into one-on-one meetings with international leaders. One of them was British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who gave him a warm “You made it!” remark.

Mr. Zelensky’s presence overshadows the diplomatic processes now that he is here, adding a zing to them nonetheless.

Preceding the G7 summit in Japan, Zelensky charges certain Arab leaders of turning a blind eye to war: Japan is dwarfed by Taiwan. gets ready to welcome leaders
Still, it’s unlikely that the G7 leaders will object. The Russian invasion has not been stopped by their sanctions thus far, and Friday’s promise to “starve” Russia of resources for its “war machine” is still undefined.

However, the fact that world leaders are positioned side by side with Mr. Zelensky conveys to Moscow that they take business seriously.

The leaders also aimed to convey a message to China, an ally of Moscow.

In addition to discussing important issues like climate change and nuclear non-proliferation, their joint final declaration underlined their commitment to the Indo-Pacific area, which they attempted to illustrate by inviting nations like the Cook Islands, India, and Indonesia.

They emphasized their support for the nations of the South East Asian and Pacific region, which Beijing has been actively courting. Their demands for a “free and open Indo-Pacific” echoed previous statements made in opposition to China’s South China Sea territorial claims.

More significantly, the leaders demanded that China “play by international rules” and strongly denounced “economic coercion,” which is the practice of using trade as a weapon against other nations.

Underscoring their dedication to “economic resilience,” they promised to “reduce excessive dependences in our critical supply chains”—a reference to the G7’s continued trading ties with China.

However, they noted that their policies were “not designed to harm China nor do we seek to thwart China’s economic progress and development” and that they wished for “constructive and stable relations” with China.

China objected to Japan, the country’s summit organizer, on Saturday, expressing “strong dissatisfaction” with the G7’s joint statement, according to Beijing’s foreign ministry.

A foreign ministry spokeswoman stated, “The G7 insisted on manipulating China-related issues, smearing and attacking China.”

On Sunday, when the summit comes to an end, Mr. Zelensky, Mr. Kishida, and US President Joe Biden are scheduled to speak.

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