Ukraine will be able to spend the money in several areas, including military, economic, humanitarian and reconstruction needs, a US official said.

“Another reminder to [Vladimir] Putin: We’re not backing down. In fact, we’re standing together against this illegal aggression,” Biden said at a news conference, with Zelensky by his side.

The issue of China’s support for Russia’s war against Ukraine came up at the press conference, with Zelensky telling a reporter: “I had a phone conversation with the leader of China. He said he will not sell any weapons to Russia. We’ll see. But he said it to me. If he is a respectable person, he will not. Because he gave me his word.”

Biden then added: “China is not supplying weapons but the ability to produce those weapons and the technology to do it. So it is, in fact, helping Russia.”

The deal to back a $US50 billion loan for Ukraine was hashed out hours before Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni opened the summit at a luxury resort in southern Italy, saying she wanted the message of the meeting to be one of dialogue with the Global South and unity.

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She compared the G7 to the ancient olive trees that are a symbol of the Puglia region, “with their solid roots, and branches projected toward the future”.

Beyond discussing Ukraine, the war in Gaza and China’s industrial policy, Pope Francis will become the first pope to address a G7 summit, adding a dash of celebrity and moral authority to the annual gathering. He’ll be speaking on Friday about the promises and perils of artificial intelligence, but is expected to also renew his appeal for a peaceful end to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

The G7 includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. Italy, which is hosting the summit, has invited several African leaders — Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Kenyan President William Ruto and Tunisian President Kis Saied — to press Meloni’s development and migration initiatives on the continent.

Along with Zelensky, other guests included Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, fresh off his own election, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

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Australia is not represented at this year’s summit, a rarity recently. PM Anthony Albanese and his predecessor Scott Morrison have been invited and attended all G7 summits since 2019 bar one, as Australia found itself on the front line of grappling with an increasingly assertive China.

With Biden, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and now French President Emmanuel Macron also facing elections in the coming months, pressure was on the G7 to get done what it can while the status quo lasts.

Meloni went into the meeting fortified at home and abroad after her far-right party had an even stronger showing in the European Parliament election than in the national general election in 2022 that made her Italy’s first female premier. Known for its revolving-door governments, Italy is now in the unusual position of being the most stable power in the EU.

The leaders of the G7’s two other EU members, Germany and France, didn’t fare nearly as well, rattled after hard-right parties made strong showings in the vote. Macron called a snap election and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz saw his Social Democrats finish behind mainstream conservatives and the far-right Alternative for Germany.

Biden said Thursday that he will not use his presidential powers to lessen the eventual sentence that his son Hunter will receive for his federal felony conviction on gun crimes.

Biden, following the conclusion of a news conference held at the Group of Seven summit of the world’s wealthiest democracies, responded he would not when asked whether he plans to commute the sentence for his son. Hunter Biden’s sentencing date has not been set, and the three counts carry up to 25 years in prison.

Whether Hunter Biden actually serves any time behind bars will be up to US District Judge Maryellen Noreika, who was nominated to the bench by former Republican President Donald Trump,

Biden’s remarks came one day after the White House declined to rule out a potential commutation for Hunter Biden. Both the president and the White House have said for months that Biden would not pardon his son.

“I’m extremely proud of my son Hunter. He has overcome an addiction. He is one of the brightest most decent men I know,” Biden said earlier during the news conference Thursday. “I abide by the jury decision. I will do that and I will not pardon him.”

AP

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