Zelensky has a powerful ally in the G7. It is prepared to use its political capital to force meetings between him and those who might be on the fence. The delegations from Brazil and India were surprised when Zelensky turned up in person, but the G7, and particularly French President Emmanuel Macron, appear to have been planning it all along.
Zelensky was picked up from the Polish border by the French military last week before flying to Saudi Arabia to lobby Middle Eastern countries to support Ukraine’s war effort.
“Unfortunately, there are some in the world and here among you who turn a blind eye,” he told Arab nations that remain close to Moscow in Jeddah.
The French military plane then flew he and his entourage over Chinese airspace to Tokyo. One official told Reuters it was striking how tired the Ukrainians seemed. They used the 15-hour trip to sleep, before landing to secure F-16 fighter jet training and procurement deals with the US and UK.
“A plane in the colours of the French Republic has arrived in Hiroshima,” Macron tweeted after he landed. “On board, the Ukrainian delegation came to the G7 to work with us and our partners for Ukraine’s victory and to restore peace in Europe.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, third left, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, right, talk in front of the Cenotaph for the Victims of the Atomic Bomb at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.Credit: AP
Loading
Zelensky remained vague on the arms and training deals he had secured. He said he could not reveal when his planned counter-offensive would begin or details of more defence agreements until they had been announced. But he moved to reassure Biden that the US F-16s fighter jets would only be used in the defence of Ukraine, not in attacks on Russia.
But the real focus of his mission was not on the countries he has already convinced of the merits of his resistance to Russia’s invasion. The G7 and Macron believe that, as the war drags on damaging the global economy, others could be for turning. “I do believe that it can be a game changer,” Macron said.
Some of these countries are enabling Russia to avoid G7 sanctions by buying and selling into the Russian market, prolonging the war.
Loading
The G7 presented them with a rare opportunity to get face-to-face with Zelensky. By Monday, Zelensky had discussions with Indian President Narendra Modi and Indonesian President Joko Widodo. The two largest democracies in Asia have pull with Moscow and Beijing, the two capitals that could change the course of this conflict.
“Everyone in the world must do everything possible to ensure that wars leave only shadows on the stones of history and that this can only be seen in museums,” the Ukrainian president said.
India will host the G20 leaders’ meeting in September, a group that includes Russian President Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping.
