The leaders of the G-7, meeting in Hiroshima (Japan), yesterday directly urged China “to put pressure on Russia” to immediately cease its aggression against Ukraine and withdraw completely from all the occupied territory.
The largest war on European soil since 1945 and the difficult relationship with an increasingly powerful China continued to be the two great geopolitical issues addressed by the leaders of the seven richest democracies on the planet. The meeting was joined by the Ukrainian president, VolodÃmir Zelenski, who arrived in the Japanese city from Saudi Arabia on an official plane provided by the French government.
In a forty-page communiqué, the leaders of the United States, Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Japan – as well as the top officials of the EU – explained their common position on multiple international issues, from the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians to the situation in Syria and the challenges posed by Iran and North Korea.
The G-7 also promised to ensure financial stability in the face of dangers such as those generated by operations with cryptocurrencies and to supervise and regulate the use of artificial intelligence.
Regarding the climate emergency, they reiterated their commitment to the Paris Agreement on a limit of 1.5 degrees Celsius in the increase in temperature.
In a sign of the times, the declaration included a section defending gender equality and condemning abuse and discrimination, also against LGTBI groups.
On a political level, however, the mentions of Ukraine and China were the most relevant due to their serious implications for world security. The G-7 not only called on China to force Russia to stop the war and withdraw, but also called on Beijing to promote a peace based on respect for Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
The Seven did not forget to remind Beijing that they are concerned about human rights violations within their borders, in Tibet and Xinjiang. Summit participants warned of the importance of preserving peace in Taiwan, warning that there is “no legal basis for Beijing’s expansionist maritime claims” and “militarization activities” in the South China Sea.
One of the objectives of Zelenski’s presence in Hiroshima, in addition to the image coup that being there means for the leader of a country at war, is to try to convince the emerging countries invited to the summit (India, Indonesia and Brazil) to that they abandon, even partially, a neutrality or equidistance that plays into Putin’s favor.
He tried to do the same thing on Friday at the Arab League summit in Saudi Arabia. Although Macron optimistically told Zelensky that his trip to Hiroshima could “change the situation†in the war, due to the favorable international impact on Kyiv, not everyone welcomed his presence.
The Brazilian delegation, irritated, spoke of a “trap”, since they did not know that the Ukrainian president would appear in Hiroshima. Given that Lula is seeking a mediating role, the Brazilian president was uncomfortable at the prospect of being forced into a meeting and photo with Zelenski that, at the time of writing this issue, had not taken place.