Ukrainian President: Zelenskyy’s most important trip

They greet each other almost like old friends. “It’s good to see you. We meet quite often,” says Olaf Scholz in English when Volodymyr Zelenskyj enters the room that the Japanese G7 summit protocol has made available to the Chancellor on the 22nd floor of the Grand Prince Hotel for bilateral talks has. “It’s always a pleasure,” Zelenskyj replies. The two met just a week ago in the Berlin Chancellery. Since then they have been Olaf and Volodymyr to each other

The Ukrainian President spoke to a few other heads of state and government in the neighboring rooms before Scholz. For example, Rishi Sunak from Great Britain, Narendra Modi from India, Giorgia Meloni from Italy or Emmanuel Macron from France. Everything in 15 to 20 minute intervals. Now it’s the chancellor’s turn. “It’s a good pleasure” – “It’s a good pleasure,” he quickly says to Zelenskyj in front of the cameras. Then it’s confidential.

Lots of very powerful men and women and one star

A whole series of the most powerful men and women in the world have gathered in Hiroshima, Japan, who – G7 and guests together – stand for more than three billion people and a large part of the global economic power. But the star is someone who doesn’t really belong. The man who has been defending himself with his armed forces against the Russian invaders for 15 months.

At around 3:30 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, Zelenskyi landed in Hiroshima in a French government plane that Macron had organized to pick him up from the Arab League summit in the Saudi Arabian port of Jeddah, 9,000 kilometers away. Hiroshima is a symbol of wartime destruction like no other in the world. During the first use of nuclear weapons in history, 80 percent of the city was razed to the ground, and more than 330,000 people died immediately or later from burns and radiation.

Ruins of a domed building as a reminder to Putin

The ruins of a domed building are still reminiscent of the inferno and warn those who are threatening to use nuclear weapons today – like Russian President Vladimir Putin. It is Zelenskyj’s country against which his threats are directed.

The Ukrainian President has made several trips in the past six months. This one is not only the widest and most symbolic, but also the most significant. Zelenskyy’s most important allies are united in the G7 of the leading democratic economic powers: the USA, which supplies by far the most weapons. Germany, Great Britain and France, the economically and militarily strongest countries in Europe. The leaders of the European Union, which Ukraine wants to join as soon as possible.

Not just Biden and Scholz, but also Modi and Lula

But there are also some at the G7 summit who are still somewhat close to the aggressor Russia, despite the war of aggression. Indian Prime Minister Modi, for example, whose country refuses to have the invasion condemned by the UN General Assembly. Or the Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who campaigned for the establishment of a “peace club” involving China. Zelenskyy has now made it clear that he fundamentally has nothing against such initiatives – as long as the Ukrainian peace plan forms the basis for them.

It provides for a complete withdrawal of Russian troops from the occupied territories. Since Russia is not yet ready for this, Zelenskyy needs one thing above all from the Group of Seven: weapons. In order to get more of it, Selenskyj toured Europe a week ago before the planned major offensive to recapture occupied territories, including to Berlin for the first time. Scholz has put together a weapon package worth 2.7 billion euros as a guest gift. There were more battle tanks and armored personnel carriers, anti-aircraft systems and ammunition. But not a weapon system of new quality.

After the battle tanks now the fighter jets

This is exactly what Hiroshima is all about. Zelenskyy has long wanted fighter jets. Great Britain, France and other European countries are ready to at least prepare a delivery – by training pilots. The day before Zelenskyy’s arrival, US President Joe Biden gave the green light for it. This is necessary because Ukraine would prefer to have the American F-16 planes, which allies can only transfer with US permission.

This will initiate another weapon turnaround in this war, similar to that of main battle tanks. After a long hesitation, Scholz took the lead in the movement. Where is he now with the Jets? He is figuratively standing on the edge of the runway and watching the F-16 slowly take off. It remains to be seen whether she will actually start in the direction of Ukraine at some point. And if Germany supports the project, it is too.

Selenskyj wished for that during his visit to Berlin. Scholz cannot hide a certain skepticism. “What is connected with the training of pilots is a long-term project,” he says in Hiroshima. The USA has not yet finally decided “what will be at the end of the training”.

Dinner without Selenskyj: caviar and war don’t go together

Zelenskyy doesn’t care. For him it is important that the fighter jet project is on track. “I’m very happy,” he says. The decision will help people in Ukraine to protect their homes and families – even if there is still a lot to prepare. “It’s a great decision.”

Zelenskyy, dressed as usual in military gear, skips the dinner of the heads of state and government on Saturday evening. Royal crabs, caviar from Japan’s Miyazaki region, and marinated raw lobster are no match for a president whose country is at war. Only at the working session on Sunday morning does he sit at a table with all the heads of state and government of the G7. “Now our strength is increasing,” he writes about the pictures on Twitter. “Anyone contemplating aggression against a democratic country can see what the reaction will be.”