Hiroshima: The invasion of Ukraine by Russia was a major topic of discussion at a Group of Seven summit held in Hiroshima on Thursday. The summit was held in the wake of the first atomic bomb attack on Earth.

More than a year into Russia's brutal war, the G7 countries, which officials claim have improved their cooperation, were expected to announce new sanctions against Moscow when the summit's formal opening ceremony took place on Friday. They also said they would step up their efforts to enforce existing sanctions intended to stifle Russia's war effort and punish those behind it.

The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the announcement in advance, stated that the US would sanction more than 300 people, entities, aircraft, and vessels in addition to blacklisting approximately 70 Russian and foreign companies that participate in Russia's defence industry.

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The official added that similar measures would be taken by the other members of the group to further isolate Russia and limit its ability to wage war in Ukraine. Over the course of the summit weekend, information was to be revealed.

When US President Joe Biden arrived at a nearby military base, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who is hosting the summit in his hometown, met with Biden to begin international diplomacy. Prior to the start of the three-day summit of leaders, Kishida also spoke with the British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

The US-Japan alliance is the "very foundation of peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region," Kishida told Biden in his opening statement.
He said, "We very much welcome the rapid advancement of the cooperation."

Before meeting with Kishida, Biden said to US and Japanese service members at the nearby Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni: "When our countries stand together, we stand stronger, and I believe the whole world is safer when we do."

Moscow launched another aerial assault on Kiev as G7 participants were travelling to Hiroshima. After weeks of relative calm, loud explosions rumbled through Kyiv in the early hours, marking the ninth time this month that Russian air raids have targeted the city.

Matthew P. Goodman, senior vice president for economics at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, predicted that the discussion would begin with the Ukrainian crisis.

Jake Sullivan, the White House national security adviser, said in a statement to reporters on board Air Force One that there will be "discussions about the battlefield" in Ukraine and on the "state of play on sanctions and the steps that the G7 will collectively commit to on enforcement in particular."

Despite the fact that Russia is currently the nation with the most sanctions, there are concerns about the effectiveness of the monetary fines.

For instance, the US has sanctioned thousands of Russian companies, government officials, oligarchs, and their families in addition to freezing the funds of the Russian Central Bank and restricting banks' access to SWIFT, the main system for international financial transactions.

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The US Treasury Department on Thursday defended the $60 per barrel price cap that the Group of Seven nations collectively imposed on Russian oil and diesel, stating that the cap has been successful in reducing Russian oil revenues. According to data from the Russian Ministry of Finance, which Treasury cites, the Kremlin's oil revenues from January to March this year were greater than 40%. lower than last year.

According to a recent Congressional Research Service report, the degree to which a targeted country can get around sanctions will largely determine their economic impact. In order to pressure nations that still do business with the Kremlin to sever their financial ties, US Treasury officials have been travelling throughout Europe and Central Asia for the past month.

As worries grow that China may attempt to annex Taiwan by force, starting a wider conflict, G7 leaders and invited guests from a number of other countries are also anticipated to discuss how to deal with China's growing assertiveness and military buildup. The autonomous island is claimed by China, and its warships and aircraft frequently patrol the area.

With tens of thousands of police officers stationed throughout the city, security was tight in Hiroshima. A small group of protesters gathered Wednesday night by the Atomic Peace Dome memorial's ruins, holding signs that read "No G7 Imperialist Summit," but they were greatly outnumbered by police.

President Xi Jinping of China is hosting the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan for a two-day summit in the Chinese city of Xi'an beginning on Thursday. This is an example of rival diplomatic efforts.

Kishida wants to draw attention to the dangers of nuclear proliferation at the meeting in Hiroshima. The leaders are expected to pay a visit to a memorial park on Friday to remember the US atomic bombing of the city in 1945, which destroyed it and killed 140,000 people.

Fears of a possible attack have become more pronounced as a result of North Korea's nuclear programme and a wave of recent missile tests. The use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine has also been threatened by Russia. Meanwhile, China is rapidly increasing its nuclear stockpile.

The leaders will talk about ways to boost the world economy and deal with rising prices that are putting a strain on families and government budgets all over the world, especially in developing nations in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

The G7 discussions risk being overshadowed by the argument over raising the debt ceiling in the largest economy in the world, the US. After the summit, Biden intends to hastily return to Washington for debt talks, cancelling scheduled meetings in Papua New Guinea and Australia.

Early on Thursday, the British prime minister flew into Japan and visited the JS Izumo, a ship that can transport helicopters and fighter jets with vertical takeoff and landing capabilities.

According to Sunak's office, the two leaders made a number of announcements regarding trade, investment, technology, and climate change during their bilateral meeting on Thursday.

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Along with the European Union, the G7 consists of Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada, and Italy.

Many other nations have been invited to participate. The G7 aims to boost support for initiatives like isolating Russia while fostering closer ties between its members and nations outside of the richest industrialised nations of the world.

Among the participants are leaders from Australia, Brazil, India, Indonesia, and South Korea. Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, is anticipated to participate via video link.