Jamie Whitehead
Live reporter

...and he isn't even a G7 leader.

Rumours started on Friday that Volodymyr Zelensky might make his way to Japan but we didn’t really know for sure until his plane – lent to him by French President Emmanuel Macron – landed in Hiroshima on Saturday afternoon local time.

Unsurprisingly, this caused a flurry of activity. The leaders released their joint communique a day early so diaries could be cleared for meetings with the Ukrainian president.

So on to today. Those leaders Zelensky flew across the world to meet said they wouldn’t waver in their support for him or his country and he in turn told them defeating Russia would result in lasting world peace.

But it wasn’t all Ukraine – China featured heavily too. The UK’s prime minister said China posed "the greatest challenge of our age" in regards to global security and prosperity, and the joint statement talked of economic coercion.

We’re bringing our coverage of the last three days to an end now. We’ve had teams in London and Singapore editing our coverage with Tessa Wong, Shaimaa Khalil, Laura Bicker, Chris Mason, Nick Marsh, Sakiko Shiraishi and Eri Okazaki.

Thank you for joining us.

As the final day of the G7 summit draws to a close, we've heard Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismiss Russia's claim it seized the embattled city of Bakhmut, while US President Joe Biden said the leaders shared an "unwavering commitment" to stand with Ukraine.

Here are the latest developments:

• 'Total destruction': Zelensky compared the "total destruction" of Bakhmut to the devastation in Hiroshima after a nuclear strike in 1945. The Ukrainian leader also insisted the city is "not occupied by Russia"
• F-16 jets: Zelensky said he was confident Ukraine would receive US-made F-16 fighter jets from Western allies. Biden said he received "flat assurance" the jets would not be used to attack Russian territory
• Aid package: Biden also announced a new package of military aid for Ukraine of up to $375m (£301m). The package will include ammunition, artillery, armoured vehicles and training
• 'Biggest challenge': UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak warned that China poses the "biggest challenge of our age" after talks on how to tackle aggression from Beijing with leaders. Meanwhile, Biden stressed the importance of not being dependent on Chinese supply chains and resisting economic coercion

Russia has condemned the G7 summit as a "politicised" event pumping out anti-Russian and anti-Chinese statements and accused the forum of undermining global stability.

Moscow's Foreign Ministry in a statement on Telegram accused the summit of fanning anti-Russian and anti-Chinese "hysteria", according to Reuters news agency.

It said the G7 had "irreversibly deteriorated" and that the forum had become "an incubator where, under the leadership of the Anglo-Saxons, destructive initiatives that undermine global stability are prepared".

In the same statement, it claimed the G7 was "flirting" with non-Western states in an effort to hamper the development of their ties with Moscow and Beijing.

Russia used to be a member of G7, previously known as G8, before it was excluded after the 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region.

Image source, Reuters

China isn't at the summit but it has also stepped up its involvement in the war in recent weeks.

The country is still one of Russia's closest allies and Beijing has not condemned Moscow for its invasion.

But this year, Beijing has played much more of a role in mediation and potential peace negotiations, announcing a special Ukraine envoy after Zelensky spoke with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in April.

And this week Beijing sent a special envoy - Li Hui - to Kyiv to meet with Ukraine’s foreign minister and other senior officials. China says it has a 12-step peace plan - the details of which are unclear and which may involve some Ukrainian concessions.

Ukraine so far has told Beijing’s envoy that they will not give up any territory to Russia.

Image source, POOL

A little earlier, we saw pictures of Ukraine's president with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at a Hiroshima memorial.

Now, Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelensky has tweeted a bit more about his meeting with Kishida as the G7 summit comes to a close.

The Ukrainian president thanked Japan for the $7.6bn package of financial assistance announced in April and the decision to accept Ukrainian servicemen for treatment, as well as 100 trucks.

Also during the meeting, Zelensky briefed the premier on the situation on the frontline and the importance of maintaining Japanese sanctions on Russia, along with Japanese investment and involvement in rebuilding Ukraine.

James Waterhouse
Ukraine correspondent in Kyiv

Volodymyr Zelensky has become incredibly effective at asking for more.

In January 2022 before the full-scale invasion, Ukraine was getting frustrated with allies being initially reluctant to provide lethal aid.

However, their confidence has grown with President Zelensky’s appeals. Helmets and hospitals have turned into missiles, tanks, and now potentially fighter jets.

Until this week they’d been considered a bridge too far, but then again so were the western tanks which are now being readied for the battlefield.

President Biden has announced is the US will help train Ukrainian pilots in F-16 fighter jets which Kyiv sees as pivotal in changing the tide of the war.

It won’t be as simple as them being flown in for next week, but Ukraine’s diplomatic strategy is continuing to bring concrete outcomes.

Image source, Getty Images

Nato members have pledged to send more ammunition in support of Ukraine's war effort against the Russian invasion.

The United States is by far the largest contributor of military aid, followed by the UK and the EU.

The US, the UK and Germany are sending tanks, and Germany is allowing other Western countries to send German-made tanks from their fleets.

The US and other Nato allies have promised to support providing advanced fighter jets to Ukraine and also back training Ukrainian pilots to fly them.

Read more on this story.

Shaimaa Khalil
Tokyo correspondent, in Hiroshima

President Zelensky’s presence dominated the headlines here in Hiroshima from the minute he landed.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak described it as a moment of “historic significance”. The French president called it a “game changer”. Indeed, the Ukrainian president standing at the centre of the “family photo” shoulder to shoulder with the leaders of the G7 does send a strong message.

The optics of this trip are just as important as the closed-door meetings and you’d be right to expect them.

It’s sometimes easy to think that the whole world stands against Russia and it’s military aggression against Ukraine. That’s not the case.

Image source, EPA

While the G7 nations have shown unwavering solidarity and support for Ukraine and its president, other countries – including India - continue to maintain close ties with Moscow.

At a time when the G7 has announced more sanctions against Russia to stifle its revenue sources, India has maintained that it would continue to buy Russian oil - and large amounts of it at that.

So, it’s worthy of attention to see President Zelensky next to the Indian prime minister engaging in conversation – uncomfortable as it may have been.

We’re into the second year of the war on Ukraine and so far Western alliance support has not wavered.

But the Ukrainian leader knows that this is now a phase where he needs to be physically present on the world stage whenever he can, and he needs to reach beyond his circle of alliance and take the case for his country further.

Even if that means sitting down with leaders of countries with close relations to his nation’s invaders.

Image source, EPA

After President Biden gave a press conference, it was Volodomyr Zelensky’s turn. He praised host city Hiroshima for its display of solidarity with Ukraine.

Here's what else Zelensky said:

• The besieged Ukrainian city Bakhmut "is not occupied by Russia", he claims
• Pictures of Hiroshima in ruins after the atomic bomb dropped in 1945 remind him of present-day Bakhmut
• He's "confident" Ukraine will receive the F-16 fighter jets, but doesn't know how many
• Zelensky added that Russia will feel Ukraine's counter offensive when it comes

Image source, EPA

Here is a recap:

• Biden said he had received a "flat assurance" US-made F-16 fighter jets provided by Western countries would not be used to attack Russian territory, but they could attack Russian troops in Ukraine
• He called for a "just peace that respects Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity"
• He said his visit to the Hiroshima memorial was a "powerful reminder of the devastating reality of nuclear war" and the need to strive for peace
• The US president stated that there "would be a response" if China acted unilaterally on Taiwan
• And also told reporters the US defaulting on its debts was not an option, but he was unwilling to cut spending solely on Republicans' terms

Violence broke out on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Hiroshima as riot police wrestled people protesting the meeting of world leaders to the ground.

The demonstration was organised by the far left extremist "Revolutionary Communist League National Committee", which denounces G7 summit as a conference of "imperialism for nuclear war".

The G7 comprises the US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan – and eight other nations have been invited this year.

We've just reported Zelensky's comments on the promised F-16 fighter jets.

We can now bring you another line from Joe Biden's earlier news conference.

Biden was asked by a reporter how can he be sure the US allowing European nations to give Ukraine F-16s will not escalate the war.

He replies Zelensky gave him a "flat assurance" F-16s will not be used to attack Russian geographic territory.

Responding to a further question from the BBC's Tessa Wong, Zelensky turns to when - or whether - Ukraine will launch a counter-offensive.

Zelensky replies simply: "Russia will feel when we have a counter-offensive."

Responding to questions from the BBC’s Tessa Wong about which weapons Ukraine has been promised this week, Zelensky says they are all "high quality" and will be provided by "everyone".

Asked about the status of F-16 fighter jets being sent to Ukraine - after the US allowed their export from other countries to Ukraine - he says he is confident Kyiv will receive them.

“I can’t tell you how many – this is not a secret, we really don’t know," he says.

Image source, EPA

Speaking to reporters, Zelensky is asked about his visit to Hiroshima’s peace museum.

He says the pictures of Hiroshima in ruins after the atomic bomb dropped in 1945 reminded him of present-day Bakhmut.

He goes on to talk about the rebuilt Hiroshima, calling it a modern city which is "alive".

He says in the future there will be “reconstruction and recovery” of Ukraine like there was in Hiroshima.

After a day of conflicting reports, Zelensky - speaking in Ukrainian - turns to Bakhmut.

Although not tactically crucial, the ruined city has taken on a symbolic importance after months of fighting.

Zelensky says Ukraine's military personnel in Bakhmut are "accomplishing a very important mission".

The Ukrainian president says "he will not share" precise details but insists the city "is not occupied by Russia" as of today.

"There are no two or three interpretations of those words," he concludes.

President Zelensky thanks the G7 host city of Hiroshima for every blue and yellow flag on the streets.

He says when there is a Ukrainian flag, there is evidence that there is faith in freedom, faith in life and "faith in our people".

We're still watching President Biden - but in a separate part of Hiroshima, President Zelensky is also addressing reporters.

Stay here for the latest.

President Biden says the US will continue to put Taiwan "in a position where they can defend themselves".

He says there is a "clear understanding" among the US and its allies that if China acted unilaterally on Taiwan there "would be a response".

However, he says he doesn't think there's anything "inevitable" about the notion that there will be a conflict.