World leaders in Japan, China as negotiator and grain deal deadline: what to watch out for this week

As the battle for Bakhmut, a largely destroyed city reportedly killing tens of thousands of soldiers, continues to rage after Ukraine made some gains for the first time in months, world leaders are planning several attempts in the coming days to find new diplomatic avenues to end the war.

Later this week, leaders of the Group of 7 countries – the United States, Japan, Canada, Great Britain, France, Germany and Italy, as well as the European Union – will gather in Hiroshima, Japan, for a weekend of meetings. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is on the agenda.

“Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is a challenge to the rules-based international order, and the G7 has responded in a united manner.” says the group’s website. “The G7 will continue to advocate strongly for sanctions against Russia and support for Ukraine.”

Here’s what else we’re watching this week:

China makes a diplomatic push: The Chinese government’s special representative for Eurasian affairs, Li Hui, plans to begin a trip on Monday with visits to Ukraine and Russia as part of an effort to help negotiate an end to the war, a spokesman for China said. the Chinese government last week. Beijing said Mr Li would conduct “in-depth communication with all parties” to try to reach a “political settlement”.
Grain deal Black Sea: The future of the grain deal that has enabled Ukraine to export millions of tons of grain from its Black Sea ports despite Russian control of the waterways remains uncertain. Russia threatened not to renew the agreement on Thursday. Representatives from Ukraine, Russia, the United Nations and Turkey met in Istanbul last week, but there was no breakthrough on an extension. The parties agreed to continue talking online.
Raise awareness: Brittney Griner, a center for the Phoenix Mercury, will play her first official game in nearly two years when the 2023 WNBA season kicks off on Friday. She missed the entire 2022 season as she was imprisoned in Russia for nearly 10 months for drug possession. She was released in December after a prisoner exchange. The Mercury and Griner team up with the Bring Our Families Home campaign to support others being held abroad, such as Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.