The US said Friday it would tighten export controls, including by “extensively restricting categories of goods key to the battlefield,” and announced nearly 300 new sanctions against “individuals, entities, vessels, and aircraft.” It was against that backdrop that Biden and his fellow leaders entered three days of talks. The dome was formerly the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, and the atomic blast struck almost directly above it, leaving the frame of its iron dome largely intact. In the background was the Atomic Bomb Dome, now a monument and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Leaders laid wreaths at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, the epicenter of the American atomic bomb dropped here in 1945 that wiped out the city and more than 100,000 of its inhabitants while hastening the end of World War II. The menacing nuclear undertones to Russia’s invasion were placed into sharp relief as the summit got underway.

The lengthy trip from Ukraine to Hiroshima, a deeply symbolic location, underscores Zelensky’s desire to strengthen support fourteen months into the war. He has been traveling outside his country more as the war grinds onward, including a tour of Europe last week. Officials declined to say exactly when Zelensky would arrive or detail his travel arrangements. The Ukrainian leader is expected to address the group in person this weekend. We will not tire in our commitment to mitigate the impact of Russia’s illegal actions on the rest of the world,” the joint statement said. The leaders also renewed their commitment to provide “the financial, humanitarian, military and diplomatic support Ukraine requires for as long as it takes,” echoing previous vows of support for Kyiv. The new sanctions would “increase the costs to Russia and those who are supporting its war effort,” and build on efforts to “ensure that Russia is no longer able to weaponize the availability of energy,” the statement added. The group later released a joint statement that “reaffirmed” their commitment to stand against Moscow’s “illegal, unjustifiable, and unprovoked” invasion. Leaders from the Group of Seven nations, which is comprised of the United States, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Canada and Italy, met Friday afternoon in the Japanese city of Hiroshima where the war was a central topic of discussion as Ukrainian forces prepare for a counteroffensive.

The new sanctions are designed to plug loopholes and go after untapped industries as Western leaders continue to work toward choking off Moscow’s war financing. US President Joe Biden and fellow world leaders unveiled tough new sanctions on Russia as they prepared to hear in-person later this weekend from Volodymyr Zelensky, who officials said was planning a dramatic trip to Japan as he continues to appeal for military assistance amid Russia’s invasion.

Biden press conference stumbles