The G7 Heads of State and Government commemorated the victims of the first atomic bomb dropped on Japan on 6 August 1945 in Hiroshima. At the start of their summit, they honored the dead with a wreath-laying at the memorial in the city, which was almost completely destroyed during the American attack in World War II.
After arriving in Japan, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Hiroshima was a “memorial that we have a responsibility for peace and security in the world.” US President Joe Biden also laid a wreath. Like former US President Barack Obama, who visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in 2016, he did not want to apologize for his country’s nuclear bomb at the G7 summit.
Hiroshima as a conference venue
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has selected Hiroshima to host the conference. In view of Russia’s offensive war against Ukraine, the summit at this symbolic location is also intended to commemorate the consequences of the use of nuclear weapons. Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly threatened his country’s nuclear arsenal since the beginning of the invasion.
The war in Ukraine is at the center of deliberations, which will last through Sunday. The summit round also aims to provide answers to China’s aspirations to become a superpower in the Indo-Pacific region. Above all, US President Joe Biden expects support from his partners to put China in its place politically and economically.
The G7 includes – in addition to Japan – Germany, the US, France, Great Britain, Italy and Canada, as well as the European Union. The summit round also aims to discuss the difficult situation of the global economy and issues of climate protection.
Commodity trading in Moscow remains limited
Even before heads of state and government met on Friday, the US and Britain announced new punitive measures against Russia and its supporters. The G7 countries want to further restrict Moscow’s billion-dollar trade in goods. Britain announced an import ban on diamonds, copper, aluminum and nickel from Russia.
The US also announced that it would draw up a new package of sanctions. One of the plans is to cut off about 70 companies and organizations from Russia and other countries from U.S. exports, a government official in Hiroshima said.
By Sunday, all G7 countries want to introduce measures to limit the export of rough diamonds from Russia – the world’s largest producer. A corresponding statement from the summit should be decided. “We will restrict the trade in Russian diamonds,” EU Council President Charles Michel said on the sidelines of the G7 summit. Referring to the James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever, he added: “Russian diamonds are not forever.”
The Russian state diamond mine Alrosa earned 332 billion rubles (about 4 billion euros) in 2021 – the last year in which it announced figures.
Since the Russian attack on Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the West has imposed unprecedented punitive measures. The G7 also wants to discuss how to better enforce existing sanctions and close loopholes.
Military aid to Ukraine
Heads of State and Government will also discuss further military assistance to Ukraine. According to EU Council President Charles Michel, the supply of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine is a problem. You coordinate closely, the Belgian told journalists. “It is very clear that Ukraine needs more military equipment,” he said.
The US news channel CNN reported that the administration of US President Joe Biden had signaled to European allies in recent weeks that the US would allow them to supply F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.
China reacted angrily before the official start of G7 deliberations. The leadership in Beijing, in particular, accused the United States of economic and diplomatic “coercive measures”. The State Department has released a report condemning the US as “the original instigator of forced diplomacy with a shameful ‘dark history'”.
According to Japanese media reports, at the end of their deliberations, the G7 states want to issue a statement against “economic coercive measures”, but without explicitly mentioning China.
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen had previously referred directly to China. She cited Australia and Lithuania as examples, which China had put under severe pressure due to political differences. (oee/sda/dpa)
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
