Joe Biden is "eager" to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the G7 in Japan, after paving the way for future deliveries of fighter jets to help Ukraine "defend itself" against Russia, according to the White House. A senior official of the US presidency said on Saturday that this bilateral meeting was scheduled for Sunday, May 20 a little after 14:00 local time (07:00 in Paris).
The US president "will continue to reiterate the strong and determined support of the United States for Ukraine," according to the official, speaking on condition of anonymity. Joe Biden "is impatient" to have the opportunity to speak again with Volodymyr Zelensky one-on-one, said Saturday his national security adviser Jake Sullivan.
Several bilateral meetings
As soon as he arrived surprise Saturday at the G7 summit in Hiroshima (western Japan), Volodymyr Zelensky has chained bilateral meetings, including with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, French President Emmanuel Macron or Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He had stopped this Friday in Saudi Arabia to participate in a summit of the Arab League, where he had also pleaded the cause of his country against Moscow.
" READ ALSO War in Ukraine: why Kiev claims F-16 fighter jets
Joe Biden also overcame his long-standing reluctance on Friday by saying he was ready to authorize other countries to provide Kiev with the fighter jets that Volodymyr Zelensky has long demanded, American-made F-16s. A "historic" decision, welcomed the Ukrainian president. Washington will now support a joint initiative by its allies to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16s.
During the training, which is expected to take months, Westerners will decide on the timing of the delivery of the planes, their number and the countries that will provide them, Sullivan said. Joe Biden's diplomatic adviser assured that the American doctrine had "not changed". "Our approach on delivering weapons, equipment and training to Ukrainians has followed the demands of the conflict," he said.
Read alsoG7 in Japan: why Volodymyr Zelensky traveled in an official French plane
He considered that the F-16s were part of the equipment that Kiev will need "in the future" to "be able to deter and defend against any Russian aggression", beyond the immediate necessities related to the Ukrainian counter-offensive announced for several weeks by Ukraine.
The White House reiterated the U.S. position that, through its military aid, including combat aircraft, "the United States does not facilitate, and does not support, attacks on Russian soil." "The Ukrainians have consistently indicated that they are prepared to respect this position," Sullivan said.