2023-05-20 15:45:00
Joe Biden ‘eager’ to meet Volodymyr Zelensky in Japan
After paving the way for deliveries of fighter jets to help Ukraine once morest Russia on Friday, US President Joe Biden is expected to meet with Volodymyr Zelensky in person at the G7 summit, which is taking place in Japan this weekend.
The president of the United States “can’t wait to meet him”, said his national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, confirming a planned meeting between the two heads of state in Hiroshima. Mr. Zelensky is expected from Saturday in the Japanese city, where he must participate on Sunday in the last day of the summit of the seven main industrialized democracies, in the presence of several major emerging powers invited, including India and Brazil. He stopped off in Saudi Arabia on Friday to attend an Arab League summit.
“It is a very good, important thing that he went to the Arab League to have the opportunity to defend his case from a Ukrainian point of view, so that the world supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine »a dit Jake Sullivan.
Just before the arrival of the Ukrainian president in Japan, Joe Biden overcame his long-standing reluctance by saying he was ready to allow other countries to supply Ukraine with the fighter jets it wants, F-16s from American manufacturing: a decision “historical”greeted the Ukrainian president.
Jake Sullivan confirmed to the press in Hiroshima that Washington now supports a joint initiative by its allies to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16s. During the duration of this training, which should take several months, the West will decide the schedule for the delivery of the planes, their number as well as the countries which will provide them, he reaffirmed.
Joe Biden’s diplomatic adviser assured that the American doctrine had no “not changed”. “Our approach to the delivery of arms, equipment and training of Ukrainians followed the demands of the conflict”, he explained. He felt that the F-16s were among the equipment kyiv will need ” in the future “ pour “to be able to deter and defend once morest any Russian aggression”beyond the immediate necessities linked to the Ukrainian counter-offensive announced several weeks ago by Ukraine.
The White House has repeated that, through their military assistance, including combat aircraft, “The United States does not facilitate or support attacks on Russian soil”. “Ukrainians have consistently stated that they are ready to respect this position”assured Mr. Sullivan.
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