The leaders of the G7 rich nations must condemn any threat to use nuclear weapons and vow “decisive action” against such a move when they hold a summit next week in Hiroshima, Ukraine’s envoy to Japan said.
Nuclear tension has surged since the start of the conflict with Ukraine as Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly warned that Russia is ready to use its nuclear arsenal, if necessary, to defend its “territorial integrity.”
Ukrainian Ambassador to Japan Sergiy Korsunsky also told reporters that conditions around the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant had deteriorated rapidly, a situation the head of the UN’s nuclear power watchdog said at the weekend had become “potentially dangerous.”
Photo: Reuters
“It should be a very clear statement from specifically those nuclear powers among the G7 that the use of nuclear weapons or nuclear terrorism will not be tolerated and will be met with almost decisive actions from major powers,” he said.
The envoy’s comments came as Russia launched drone, missile and airstrikes on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, and other cities in the run-up to its cherished Victory Day holiday yesterday that celebrates the defeat of Nazi Germany.
Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskiy is to use video link to attend the G7 gathering from May 19 to 21 in Hiroshima, which became the world’s first city to suffer an atomic bombing in 1945, adding significance to his country’s message.
“It’s most important that the summit when we have a real threat of nuclear terrorism, that summit will be in Hiroshima,” Korsunsky said.
He called for G7 talks on nuclear security and the global architecture, as the International Atomic Energy Association and the UN Security Council lacked power.
“Maybe additional decisions should be taken” about a new system, he said.
“We believe that among the G7 there must be consensus if we want a bigger system of international security to protect any country in the world. We’re not talking about just Ukraine,” he added.
Ukraine’s other big hope is that the summit will discuss efforts for reconstruction — in which Korsunsky hopes Japan can play a key role, in light of its experience rebuilding from disasters — particularly using frozen Russian assets to do so.
In February, the EU said it had formed an ad hoc group to see about using frozen Russian funds to rebuild Ukraine.
Last week, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said his government was examining how Russian assets could be used to help Ukraine’s war effort.
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