Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday said “peace will be closer” as a result of meetings at the G7 summit, after a diplomatic source said he had arrived in the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Read our live blog for all the latest developments on the war in Ukraine. All times are Paris time (GMT+2).
12:11pm: Indian PM Modi says met Zelensky in Hiroshima
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of a G7 summit in Hiroshima on Friday, the Indian leader said in a tweet.
A photo showed the two leaders shaking hands, in their first meeting since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which India has declined to condemn.
12:10pm: Zelensky attempting to convince Modi, Lula da Silva on sidelines of G7 summit
Zelensky has arrived at the G7 summit where he will not only have the chance to thank G7 leaders, who are overwhelmingly behind the Ukrainians’ efforts in their battle against Russia, but also have the opportunity to try to convince leaders reluctant to join the Ukrainian side, especially India‘s PM Narendra Modi and Brazil‘s President Lula da Silva. FRANCE 24 correspondent Jake Adelstein reports from Hiroshima, Japan.
11:22am: Ukraine’s Zelensky meets UK’s Sunak on sidelines of G7 summit
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Hiroshima on Saturday.
They embraced each other warmly upon meeting and sat side by side to engage in discussions before media was ushered out. Zelensky met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni earlier in the day.
11:19am: Russia says F-16 supplies to Ukraine would carry ‘colossal’ risks for West
Western countries will be running “colossal risks” if they supply Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets, TASS news agency quoted Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko as saying on Saturday.
US President Joe Biden told G7 leaders on Friday that Washington supports joint allied training programs for Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighters, senior US officials said.
10:45am: G7 urges China to press Russia to end war in Ukraine
The Group of Seven wealthy democracies united Saturday in urging China to pressure its strategic partner Russia to end its war on Ukraine.
In a joint statement issued Saturday, the G7 leaders emphasized they did not want to harm China and were seeking “constructive and stable relations” with Beijing, “recognising the importance of engaging candidly with and expressing our concerns directly to China.”
10:26am: G7 calls for continuation, full implementation of Black Sea grain deal
The Group of Seven rich nations on Friday called on all participants of the Black Sea Grain deal “to continue and fully implement its smooth operation at its maximum potential and for as long as necessary,” it said in a statement.
The Ukraine Black Sea grain deal was extended for two more months earlier this week, in an agreement reached a day before Russia could have quit the pact over obstacles to its grain and fertiliser exports.
On Friday, G7’s statement on the global food security also stressed “the importance of allowing grains to continue to reach those most in need”.
9:02am: Zelensky says G7 summit meetings will bring peace ‘closer’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday said “peace will be closer” as a result of meetings at the G7 summit, after a diplomatic source said he had arrived in the Japanese city of Hiroshima.
“Japan. G7. Important meetings with partners and friends of Ukraine. Security and increased cooperation for our victory. Peace will become closer today,” Zelensky said on social media.
8:45am: Ukraine’s Zelensky arrives in Japan for G7 Summit
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Hiroshima, Japan, on Saturday, to attend the Group of Seven (G7) leaders’ summit in the city.
Live footage broadcast by multiple media outlets showed Zelensky disembark from a French government aircraft. Japan, this year’s G7 chair, earlier on Saturday announced Zelensky’s in-person attendance at the meeting in the world’s first city attacked by an atomic bomb, as nuclear threats from Russian President Vladimir Putin have unsettled the West.
5:33am: Kyiv says repelled new drone attack on Ukraine capital
Kyiv’s air defences successfully repelled a new Russian drone attack overnight but falling debris caused some damage in the Ukrainian capital, the military said Saturday. “This night, the aggressor again carried out a massive drone attack,” the head of Kyiv‘s civil and military administration, Serhiy Popko, said in an update on Telegram.
“All detected air targets were destroyed by the forces and means of our air defence. No strikes on Kyiv were performed!”
Falling debris caused a fire in a residential building in Darnytskyi district but it was extinguished without casualties, he said. Debris also caused some damage in three other districts, he said, but there was no immediate report of casualties. Popko said it was the 11th air attack on Kyiv since the start of May. At 12:45am Saturday (2145 GMT Friday), the Ukrainian army said drones were heading towards the Kyiv region. Explosions were reported there by authorities and also in the city of Chernihiv, northeast of Kyiv.
5:29am: Zelensky heads to G7 as Ukraine wins access to F-16s
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrives in Hiroshima on Saturday to join G7 talks, after winning long-sought US support for access to advanced fighter jets and training for Kyiv’s pilots. The rare long-haul trip is a chance to confer with allies like US President Joe Biden, but also to woo key unaligned powers at the summit, including India and Brazil.
Zelensky’s surprise appearance – he had previously been expected to appear by video – comes after a stop in Jeddah to address the Arab League. He will arrive Saturday afternoon on a French plane, a diplomatic source told AFP. He arrives fresh off a breakthrough in his long-running campaign to convince Washington of Ukraine’s need for F-16s.
Momentum had been building for providing the planes, but Washington’s support is key because its approval is legally required for the re-export of US equipment purchased by allies. The United States had previously cited long pilot training times and high costs as a reason not to supply the jets, with officials insisting there were more cost-effective ways to boost Kyiv’s air defences. But F-16s now appear likely to join the list of advanced systems, including Western tanks and long-range weaponry, that Ukraine’s supporters have agreed to provide after initial reluctance.
Key developments from Friday, May 19:
Russia on Friday said it banned entry to 500 Americans, including former President Barack Obama, in response to sanctions imposed by Washington.
The US on Friday announced sanctions on more than 300 targets as G7 leaders met in Japan, aiming to punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine and intensifying one of the harshest sanctions efforts ever implemented.
US President Joe Biden told G7 leaders that Washington will support training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets that could be supplied to Kyiv.
President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and thanked him for backing Ukraine’s sovereignty, a statement from the presidency said.
Read yesterday’s live blog to see how the day’s events unfolded.
Read more analysis on the war in Ukraine (C) France M?dias Monde graphic studio
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP & Reuters)
