On a day of frenetic diplomatic activity at the G7 meeting, Volodymyr Zelensky was able to gain further military assistance from the US as Russia claimed a victory on the battlefield in the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut.
Joe Biden told Zelensky that the US was doing everything it could to bolster Ukraine’s defenses in its conflict with Russia when he promised military support worth up to $375 million (£300 million) to Kyiv.
Turbulent Times at G7
Zelensky was attempting to persuade the leaders of non-aligned nations, such as Brazil and India, who have so far refrained from denouncing the Russian invasion, at the time of their meeting.
Days after granting the UK and other allies the go-ahead to deliver US-built F-16 planes to Ukraine, Biden claimed the military aid package includes ammunition, artillery, armored vehicles, and training during a meeting with Zelensky on the fringes of the summit in Hiroshima, Japan.
The fiercest combat of the 15-month struggle took place in the city, which the Russian military declared to have taken on Saturday.
Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, praised the Wagner mercenary group and the Russian army on Sunday for what he referred to as the liberation of Bakhmut.
Read more: Mauritius Emerges As A Key Theater For US-China Rivalry
Leaders’ Responses to Ukraine Crisis
Putin said in a statement posted on the Kremlin website that the bloodiest and longest fight of the 15-month conflict had finished with a Russian victory and that those who had distinguished themselves on Moscow’s side will all get state decorations.
The G7 reiterated its unwavering support for Kyiv in their final communiqué, but it was up to the Ukrainian president to convince other heads of state to do the same.
Among them is Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the president of Brazil, who has called the West of encouraging the war and hasn’t said if he’ll meet the president of Ukraine in Hiroshima.
After visiting Zelensky on Saturday, Narendra Modi, who has called for a ceasefire in Ukraine but has not denounced the Kremlin, was more forthright.
Read more: China’s Debt Trap: The Impending Collapse Of The World’s Poorest Nations