Zelenskyy in Hiroshima to join G7 summit

The G7 leaders have wrapped up their second day of discussions in Hiroshima.

They were joined by leaders from other nations and international organizations. And they saw the arrival of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is now in the city to attend the summit.

Zelenskyy landed in Hiroshima on Saturday afternoon, and began meeting the leaders individually. He is believed to be discussing additional military aid for his country.

Zelenskyy and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi talked in person for the first time since the Russian invasion in February of last year.

India has long maintained friendly ties with Russia. The country has massively increased imports of Russian oil and fertilizer since the invasion, while Western nations imposed economic sanctions on Moscow.

"We will do everything we can to help Ukraine," Modi said.

Zelenskyy is scheduled to attend two G7 sessions on Sunday.

One focuses on the war in Ukraine, and the other is an outreach session on global peace and stability. He is also expected to meet one-on-one with Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and US President Joe Biden.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told NHK she urged Zelenskyy to attend the summit.

She said, "I recommended strongly to come here to Japan, to go to Hiroshima, the city of peace and to meet here the leaders because this is the place where we should discuss how to get to a just peace."

The leaders of eight invited countries and other representatives have now joined the G7 leaders.

Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio said: "I am very happy to welcome people from partner countries and international organizations to Hiroshima. At this session, I would like to discuss how we can take united responses to the complex crises facing the world."

Those challenges include the food crisis caused in part by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Energy security was also on the agenda at Saturday's meeting.

On the sidelines of the G7, the leaders of Japan, the US, Australia and India have sat down for a Quad framework summit.

They had originally planned to gather in Australia after the G7. But Biden decided to hurry straight back to Washington as negotiations on the US debt ceiling continue.