Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Hiroshima, Japan, Saturday afternoon to participate in the Group of Seven leaders’ summit, the farthest he has been outside of his war-torn country since Russia’s invasion began in February last year.
“Japan. G7. Important meetings with partners and friends of Ukraine. Security and enhanced cooperation for our victory. Peace will become closer today,” he wrote on Twitter upon his arrival.
Zelenskyy is scheduled to hold bilateral talks on the sidelines of the G7 summit with world leaders, including U.S. President Joe Biden, summit host Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Modi is set to host the Group of 20 largest economies in New Delhi later this year.
Ahead of Zelenskyy’s participation at the G7, the group announced it will provide Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets and train Ukrainian pilots to fly them. The move was a shift from Biden’s monthslong refusal of Zelenskyy’s request for the aircraft.
In a statement provided to VOA, a senior administration official said on Friday Biden informed G7 leaders that the United States will support a joint effort with allies and partners to train Ukrainian pilots on fourth-generation fighter aircraft, including F-16s, to further strengthen and improve the capabilities of the Ukrainian air force.
The training, set to begin in the coming weeks, will take place at sites in Europe and require months to complete, said the officials.
