G7 leaders to discuss proposal for peace summit in Ukraine

G7 leaders will discuss a proposal for a peace summit in Ukraine 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 plans rivals proposed by China.

The G7 talks on the proposed event, which has been championed by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and is not expected to include Russia, comes as Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s special envoy visits Kiev and touts the ” political agreement” from Beijing to end the nearly 15-month conflict.

Zelenskyy’s 10-point plan to end the conflict includes a demand that Moscow withdraw all its troops and that Ukraine’s full territorial integrity be restored. China’s version does not call for Russia’s full withdrawal before peace negotiations open.

Western leaders have stressed that peace talks should only take place when kyiv is willing to, and that success on the battlefield was the best way for Ukraine to achieve a “just peace.”

But kyiv’s Western allies are increasingly concerned that US military support for Ukraine is peaking and could wane 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 use the talks to discuss the idea of ​​holding a conference this summer devoted to Zelenskyy’s plan.

Zelenskyy’s spokesman confirmed that the G7 talks would be held at the request of kyiv, with the aim of getting as many countries as possible to join his peace proposal.

Andriy Yermak, Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, said kyiv was interested “in China’s involvement in the implementation of Ukraine’s peace formula.”

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that kyiv had reassured Beijing that it would not accept any peace deal with Russia that would entail the loss of Ukrainian territory.

Zelenskyy 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 indication that he will agree to anything other than full capitulation by Kiev.

The Kremlin has backed China’s peace plan and also welcomes a move by South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, who has come under pressure after the United States accused his country of supplying Russia with arms.

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

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

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

News of the G7 intervention to bolster support for Zelenskyy’s peace plan came as Ukraine claimed its air defenses had shot down all but one of the Russian cruise missiles fired in the latest overnight attacks that sparked explosions in Kiev and other regions.

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“A total of 30 sea, air and land-based cruise missiles were launched” and 29 were destroyed, General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces, said in a statement on Thursday.

The tally added to kyiv’s claims to shoot down six Russian ballistic missiles in a strike on Tuesday.

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