Rishi Sunak gives Volodymyr Zelensky a hero’s welcome at the G7

Volodymyr Zelensky flew to the G7 summit yesterday to seal a deal on fighter jets, as news broke Britain will start training Ukrainian pilots this summer.

The Ukrainian president arrived in Hiroshima to be greeted as a hero by world leaders.

Rishi Sunak hugged his fellow leader shortly after landing and said; ‘Good to see you. You did it.’ Asked by reporters if it was a good day for Ukraine, Zelensky smiled, nodded and said: “Thank you very much.”

Government sources revealed last night that the Prime Minister played a key role in organizing the surprise visit.

He is believed to have suggested the idea to President Zelensky a month ago, arguing that it would help him close a deal to secure Western planes and give him a golden opportunity to lobby the leaders of neutral states such as India and Brazil, who will attend. the G7 – to side with Ukraine. British officials then pitched the idea of ​​Zelensky attending to their Japanese counterparts, and an invitation was issued.

Rishi Sunak hugged his fellow leader shortly after landing and said; ‘Good to see you. You did it’

Upon his arrival in Hiroshima, Zelensky tweeted: ‘Japan. G7. Important meetings with partners and friends from Ukraine. Security and greater cooperation for our victory. Peace will be closer today.

Last night Sunak said: ‘The G7 was once the G8: Russia was expelled in 2014 for its illegal annexation of Crimea and flagrant abuse of human rights and the rule of law.

Nine years later, having my friend and President of Ukraine Zelensky join us in Hiroshima today sends an incredibly powerful message.

‘He tells the world that the G7 is united with the people of Ukraine, facing a terrible onslaught. And he shows that brute force and oppression will not triumph over freedom and sovereignty. From the supply of Challenger tanks to long-range missiles and pilot training, UK support for Ukraine’s defense will never waver. I am delighted that the G7 have agreed on the importance of providing President Zelensky with the advanced military equipment necessary to win this war and prosper as a free and democratic nation.”

Apart from the summit, Mr. Sunak, who is accompanied on the trip by his wife, Akshata Murty, has been exploring Japanese culture, making traditional okonomiyaki pancakes at a restaurant and dining on sashimi and conger eel rice with his Japanese counterpart, Fumio Kishida. .

The Prime Minister’s wife Akshata Murty attends the second day of the G7 Summit Spouses Program in Hiroshima, Japan.

Last week, President Biden, who is also at the summit, lifted the US ban on countries transferring US F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine to carry out combat missions against Putin’s forces.

President Zelensky has been in talks with several European states that have stockpiles of F-16s, including Poland, Denmark, and the Netherlands. Britain is not sending its Tornado jets, which are considered too complex to maintain.

But government sources said last night that the UK was going to be the first to offer to train Ukrainian pilots to fly Western planes.

One source said the first pilots could arrive within two months.

They will undergo basic flight training in the UK and be allowed to familiarize themselves with standard Western aircraft. But then they will require more training in the operation of the F-16s.