Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, is aiming to win support from the international community during the G7 summit. He is set to launch a ferocious diplomatic campaign on Sunday and is scheduled to meet with Joe Biden among other leaders. Despite the G7’s unwavering support for Ukraine, Zelensky has not been able to convince major non-aligned countries such as India and Brazil to support his cause. Brazilian President Luis Inácio Lula da Silva has accused the West of promoting war and has refused to meet with Zelensky in Hiroshima.
Zelensky remains hopeful after meeting with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi who stated that he believed India “will participate in the restoration of a rules-based international order.” French President Emmanuel Macron described Zelensky’s surprise visit to Hiroshima as a “game changer” and hopes to convince emerging powers such as India and Brazil to back Ukraine.
The G7 summit has pledged to strengthen closer cooperation and has placed pressure on Russia. The final communiqué released a day early by summit organizers stated that the G7 reaffirmed its unwavering support for Ukraine and expects Ukraine to dominate Sunday. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov criticized the G7 for trying to isolate Russia and accused them of trying to eliminate Russia as a geopolitical competitor.
Zelensky’s attendance at the G7 summit came a day after the White House lifted its opposition to allies supplying Kiev with US-made F-16 fighter jets. The President of Ukraine sees this as a great result and hopes to improve Ukraine’s air defense capabilities with the jets.