TOKYO: Jean-Eric Paquet, ambassador of the European Union to Japan, has stressed the EU’s resolve to continue providing military support to Ukraine until the country being invaded by Russia regains its sovereignty.

“On all accounts, the European Union is supporting Ukraine, of course militarily,” Paquet said in an interview with Jiji Press, ahead of the three-day summit of the Group of Seven major countries in the city of Hiroshima, western Japan, from Friday.

The EU is working to make one million rounds of ammunition available to Ukraine quickly, he said, adding that member nations have supplied tanks and fighter jets to the country.

There has been “a massive effort” also to support Ukrainian refugees, while sanctions against Russia are “very important,” Paquet said.

Asked how the G7 should cooperate to prevent Russia from using nuclear weapons, Paquet underlined the need for the international community to unite and condemn the aggression so that the country realizes that it has been isolated.

G7 leaders are slated to visit Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park during the summit. If the leaders express their will to promote nuclear nonproliferation, “I think it is a very strong political signal,” the ambassador said.

The summit among Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States plus the European Union is set to be chaired by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.  Hiroshima was devastated by a U.S. atomic bomb in August 1945, in the closing days of World War II.

Over security issues in East Asia and the Indo-Pacific region, where tensions are mounting, Paquet said, “The status quo in Taiwan is a key component of Europe’s external policy.”

“What is happening in Europe is affecting Japan,” and similarly, what is happening in the Indo-Pacific region “is highly important…for Europe as well,” he said.

European nations are strengthening military cooperation and conducting joint drills with Japan, Paquet said. Ensuring economic security and cybersecurity is also important, he added.

As to ongoing discussions in the EU on regulating artificial intelligence, Paquet said some argue that work to develop AI should be suspended for a while.

But he stressed that this is not realistic, noting that a proper regulatory framework needs to be put in place quickly.

Appropriately balanced regulations would add a lot of value, and often enable good economic development and competitiveness, Paquet said.

JIJI Press