G7 leaders to discuss resolution of Ukraine peace summit

G7 leaders discussed a proposal to hold a Ukraine peace summit during their three-day meeting in Hiroshima this week, in an effort to promote Kiev’s proposal to end Russia’s war against the country instead of rival plans proposed by China. do.

The G7 talks on the proposed programme, which has been championed by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and is not expected to include Russia, come as Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s special envoy visits Kiev, nearly 15 months away. cites Beijing’s “political settlement” to end the protracted conflict. ,

Zelensky’s 10-point plan to end the conflict includes demanding Moscow withdraw all its troops and restore Ukraine’s full territorial integrity. China’s version does not call for Russia’s complete withdrawal before peace talks begin.

Western leaders have insisted that peace talks should take place only if Kiev is ready to do so, and that success on the battlefield is the best way for Ukraine to achieve a “just peace”.

But Kiev’s Western allies are increasingly concerned about whether US military support for Ukraine has peaked, and could collapse before next year’s US election.

An EU official said the G7 leaders, who begin their three-day summit in the Japanese port city on Friday, will hold talks this summer to discuss the idea of holding a conference dedicated to Zelensky’s plan. Will use

Zelensky’s spokesman confirmed that the G7 talks would take place at Kiev’s request, which aims to include as many countries as possible with its peace proposal.

Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andrey Ermak, said that Kiev was interested in “getting involved in the implementation of the Ukrainian peace formula in China”.

Ukraine’s foreign ministry said on Thursday that Kiev has reaffirmed to Beijing that it will not accept any peace deal with Russia that involves the loss of Ukrainian territory.

Zelensky is expected to address the G7 leaders via video conference.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has blamed Ukraine for the lack of progress in peace talks, but has so far shown no sign that he will accept anything other than a complete capitulation from Kiev.

The Kremlin has backed China’s peace plan and is also welcoming an initiative by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who has come under pressure after the US accused his country of supplying arms to Russia.

Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday that several African states would lead a peace delegation to Moscow after Putin spoke with Ramaphosa last week.

According to Interfax, Peskov said, “Mr. Ramaphosa said that Africa, as the largest continent, also finds it necessary to raise its voice in international efforts to resolve the situation known in Ukraine.”

“Russia is ready to listen with great interest to any proposal that can resolve the situation in Ukraine,” he added.

News of the G7 intervention to drum up support for Zelensky’s peace plan came as Ukraine claimed its air defenses had let down all but one of the latest overnight attacks that blasted Kiev and other areas .

“A total of 30 sea, air and land-based cruise missiles were launched” and 29 were destroyed, General Valery Zaluzny, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said in a statement on Thursday.

The tally added Kiev’s claims of downing six Russian ballistic missiles in one attack on Tuesday.

Serhiy Popko, head of Kiev’s military administration, said it was the ninth attack on the capital since the beginning of the month.