At G7, Zelenskiy says destruction of Bakhmut has echoes of Hiroshima

In describing twin threats of Russian aggression and Chinese bullying the leaders also called on non-aligned countries such as India, whose Prime Minister Narendra Modi also met with Zelenskiy on the sidelines of the summit, to join their defence of Ukraine's territory. "I'll tell you openly: Photographs of ruined Hiroshima absolutely remind me of Bakhmut and other similar settlements.

Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Sunday drew a parallel between the destruction of Bakhmut and the horror of Hiroshima, evoking the symbolism of mass destruction as he wrapped up a surprise appearance at the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Japan. The Ukrainian president's arrival in Hiroshima on Saturday afternoon on a French government plane marked a dramatic turn as U.S. President Joe Biden and other leaders strengthened their call for Moscow to end its

invasion , announcing new sanctions and increased military assistance.

The leaders also took clear aim at China over "economic coercion" and said they would pare back exposure to the world's second-largest economy in everything from chips to minerals to supply chains. In describing twin threats of Russian aggression and Chinese bullying the leaders also called on non-aligned countries such as India, whose Prime Minister Narendra Modi also met with Zelenskiy on the sidelines of the summit, to join their defence of Ukraine's territory.

"I'll tell you openly: Photographs of ruined Hiroshima absolutely remind me of Bakhmut and other similar settlements. Nothing left alive, all the buildings ruined," Zelenskiy told a news conference, after laying flowers at the cenotaph to victims of the world's first atomic bombing of a city. "The ruins of our cities which have been burned to the ground by Russian bombs and artillery are similar to that I have just seen here. It was an honour to me to be at this museum of peace."

During the final day of the three-day G7 summit, Biden announced a $375 million package of military aid, including artillery and armoured vehicles, for Ukraine. He told Zelenskiy the United States was doing all it could to strengthen Ukraine's defence against Russia.

"Together with the entire G7 we have Ukraine's back and I promise we're not going anywhere," Biden said. Russian President Vladimir Putin meanwhile hailed what he said was a victory for his forces, describing it as the "liberation" of Bakhmut in a statement on the Kremlin's website.

NO 'FROZEN CONFLICT' Other leaders of the G7 - the United States, Japan, Germany, Britain, France, Italy and Canada - echoed Biden's sentiments.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised that his country would back Ukraine for as long and as much as necessary. Biden told G7 leaders Washington supports joint allied training programmes for Ukrainian pilots on F-16 warplanes, although Kyiv has not won commitments for delivery of the fighter jets.

The potential for such training on U.S.-made F-16s was a message to Russia that it should not expect to succeed in its invasion by prolonging conflict, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said training would start this summer and Ukraine would get the air force it needed for the future.

It was "significant" that the G7 nations showed solidarity in their intention to uphold international law and order during a summit attended by Zelenskiy as a guest, said the prime minister of host nation Japan, Fumio Kishida. Scholz said that while the immediate priority was supporting Ukraine's defence, security guarantees for Ukraine needed to be established once the war was over.

Both Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron appeared to stand with Ukraine in opposing any notion of the war becoming a "frozen conflict," or any proposal for peace talks without Russian troops withdrawing. As Moscow's 15-month-old invasion has dragged on, the Hiroshima summit also gave Zelenskiy a chance to lobby for support from other attendees, like India's Modi. But he didn't meet Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva due to scheduling issues.

'DE-RISK' FROM CHINA While determination to help Ukraine repel Russia's invasion was a key message from the G7 summit, the other was distrust of China as a trading partner.

Biden met the leaders of Japan and South Korea on Sunday to discuss military interoperability and the economic coercion they face from China, a U.S. official said. A day earlier, the G7 leaders outlined a shared approach towards China, looking to "de-risk, not decouple" economic engagement with a country regarded as the factory of the world.

In a statement the G7 also reaffirmed the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, where Chinese military exercises have raised concerns over the security of Taiwan, the democratic, self-governed island that China regards as part of its territory. China's foreign ministry issued a complaint to Japan expressing firm opposition to the G7 statement, saying it disregarded China's concerns, had attacked it and interfered in its internal affairs, including Taiwan.