Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a speech in Hiroshima after joining the G7 summit.
Speaking to the media Sunday evening, Zelenskyy expressed his appreciation for the Japanese people and their support for Ukraine.
Zelenskyy said he draws a parallel between the devastation of Hiroshima to the situation in Ukraine as it engages in a bloody conflict with Russia. He said its cities now resemble the photos he has seen of the historic Japanese city in the aftermath of the 1945 bombing.
Zelenskyy commemorates atomic bomb victims
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima to pay respects to the victims of the 1945 atomic bombing.
He laid flowers and offered prayers at a cenotaph alongside Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio.
The park was built near the hypocenter of the blast. It was built to detail the devastation from the explosion and as a symbol of peace.
Kishida wraps up G7 summit
Leaders of the Group of Seven nations have concluded three days of summit talks in the Japanese city of Hiroshima. At a news conference on Sunday, Prime Minister Kishida Fumio underlined the significance of the talks and the importance of the visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“I feel it is significant that we invited President Zelenskyy to Japan, showed unwavering solidarity between the G7 and Ukraine, confirmed the importance of a free and open international order based on the rule of law, and strongly demonstrated to the world that we have renewed our commitment to protecting it,” he told reporters.
Kishida stressed the significance of having held the talks in Hiroshima, a city devastated by the atomic bomb in 1945.
“We reaffirmed that there is no winner in a nuclear war and a nuclear war must never be fought. I feel a historical significance in that the G7 leaders made this clear in a statement in this atomic bombed city, after listening to a survivor, seeing the reality of the devastation and feeling people’s hope for peace.”
G7 leaders released a document on nuclear disarmament on Friday. The document was separate from a joint communique issued by the members. It stressed their commitment towards “a world without nuclear weapons.”
It condemns Russia’s “irresponsible nuclear rhetoric, undermining of arms control regimes, and stated intent to deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus are dangerous and unacceptable.”
It also calls on countries to promote effective and responsible transparency about the size and capabilities of their nuclear arsenals.
Zelenskyy and G7 ‘outreach’ members in talks
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is taking part in G7 talks that also feature the heads of the so-called ‘outreach’ states.
Japan, as chair of the summit, invited eight non-member states to participate this year. They include India, which has so far taken a neutral stance on the war in Ukraine.
The focus of the session is global peace and security.
Zelenskyy joins the G7 discussions
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is joining the G7 summit in Hiroshima in person on Sunday.
The G7 leaders discussed the Ukraine situation on Friday, the first day of the talks, and released a statement pledging unwavering support for Ukraine.
They plan to discuss the issue directly with Zelenskyy.
They are expected to convey their intention to continue sanctions against Russia and support for Ukraine.
S. Korean president prays for Korean atomic bomb victims
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol laid flowers at a monument dedicated to the Korean victims of the 1945 atomic bombing in Hiroshima. He was accompanied by Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio. It was the first visit by a South Korean president to the site.
Tens of thousands of people from the Korean Peninsula may have died from the bombing, but the actual figure has not been determined.
Survivors in South Korea say their government hasn’t done enough to support them. Yoon apologized for his government’s failures to a group of survivors living in Japan on Friday.
Kishida called the shared moment at the monument between the two leaders “significant” for the relationship between Japan and South Korea and for world peace.
Yoon called it “courageous,” acknowledging the importance of Kishida’s recognition of the South Korean victims of the bombing.
Zelenskyy in Hiroshima
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is visiting Japan. He will attend the Group of Seven summit in person on Sunday, in the western city of Hiroshima.
He will take part in a session with G7 leaders on the situation in Ukraine. He is also scheduled to attend a session on peace and security, along with invited leaders of non-G7 nations. This will include India, which has so far taken a neutral stance on the war. Zelenskyy spoke with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday upon his arrival in Japan.
Modi has reportedly assured Zelenskyy that he and his country will do everything it can to help Ukraine. It is the first time the two leaders have met in person since the start of Russia’s invasion.
Japan’s Prime Minister Kishida Fumio is scheduled to meet with Zelenskyy on Sunday. Kishida is expected to express Japan’s unwavering solidarity with Ukraine and his government’s plan to provide aid and support to reconstruction.
US President Joe Biden also plans to meet Zelenskyy on the same day in Hiroshima.
Source: NHK World
