Zelenskyy goes on diplomatic blitz to tighten screws on Russia

Hiroshima, Japan – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has embarked on a flurry of diplomacy with international leaders in Japan, turning the focus of the Group of Seven summit firmly towards efforts to end Russia's 15-month war in Ukraine. Zelenskyy's surprise visit to Hiroshima on Saturday evening, following earlier reports that he would only attend online, immediately thrust the G7's efforts to choke Russia's economy to the top of a busy agenda that has touched on issues ranging from China's rise to the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence. Shortly after touching down in Japan in a French aircraft, fresh on the heels of whistlestop visits to Europe and Saudi Arabia, Zelenskyy said the summit would be an opportunity for "enhanced cooperation for our victory". "Peace will become closer today," he said on his official Twitter account. French President Emmanuel Macron late on Saturday hailed Zelenskyy's attendance at the summit as a potential "game changer".