conflicts
Scholz at the G7 summit: Hiroshima urges us to be peaceful
The heads of government of the G7 countries meet in Hiroshima, Japan for their annual consultations. photo
© Michael Kappeler/dpa
Never again: in Hiroshima, the G7 states commemorate the devastating consequences of the use of nuclear weapons. The summit of the leading economic powers is aimed at Russia – and China.
The G7 heads of state and government commemorated the victims of the first atomic bomb dropped on Japan on August 6, 1945 in Hiroshima. At the beginning of their summit, they honored the dead with a wreath-laying ceremony at the memorial in the city, which was almost completely destroyed in the US attack in World War II. Under the simple concrete arch lies a stone sarcophagus containing a register with the names of the 333,907 atomic bomb victims so far.
After his arrival in Japan, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that Hiroshima was a “memorial that also gives us a mandate to ensure that peace and security remain guaranteed in the world and that there is no nuclear escalation”. US President Joe Biden also laid a wreath. Like former US President Barack Obama, who visited Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in 2016, he did not want to apologize for his country’s atomic bombing at the G7 summit.
Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has chosen Hiroshima to host the conference. With a view to Russia’s war of aggression 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 invasion began.
Russian invasion as the central theme
The war in Ukraine is a central theme of the deliberations, which last until Sunday. Scholz sees an unbroken consensus among the G7 countries to continue supporting Ukraine economically and militarily. After the first day of deliberations, he told journalists: “We have assured once again that we will give Ukraine the necessary support for as long as it is needed.” A fair peace is only possible if Russia realizes that it must end this war and withdraw its troops.
Even before the heads of state and government sat down at the table today, the US and Great Britain announced new punitive measures against Russia and its supporters. The G7 countries want to further restrict Moscow’s commodity trade, which is worth billions. Britain announced an import ban on diamonds, copper, aluminum and nickel from Russia. The USA also announced that it would put together a new package of sanctions. One of the plans is to cut off about 70 companies and organizations from Russia and other countries from US exports, said a government official in Hiroshima.
“Russian diamonds are not forever”
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 summit declaration is to be decided. “We will restrict trade in Russian diamonds,” said EU Council President Charles Michel 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 miner Alrosa achieved 332 billion rubles (around 4 billion euros) in 2021 – the last year in which it disclosed figures. Since the Russian attack on Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the West has imposed unprecedented punitive measures. The G7 also want to discuss how they can better enforce existing sanctions and plug loopholes.
Delivery of F-16 fighter jets?
The heads of state and government will also discuss further military aid for Ukraine. According to EU Council President Charles Michel, the delivery of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine is an issue. There is close coordination, the Belgian told journalists. “It is very clear that Ukraine needs more military equipment,” he said.
US news channel CNN reported that US President Joe Biden’s administration had signaled to European allies in recent weeks that the US would allow them to deliver F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.
Also the role of China in focus
The summit round also wants to provide answers to China’s aspirations to become a great power in the Indo-Pacific region. Above all, US President Biden expects support from his partners in order to put China in its place politically and economically.
China reacted angrily even before the official start of the G7 deliberations. The leadership in Beijing accused the US in particular of economic and diplomatic “coercive measures”. The State Department issued a report denouncing the US as “the actual 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 make a statement against “coercive economic measures” without explicitly naming China. US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen had previously referred directly to China. She cited Australia and Lithuania as examples, which China had put under heavy pressure because of political differences.
The G7 includes – in addition to host Japan – Germany, the USA, France, Great Britain, Italy and Canada as well as the European Union.