Ukraine's Zelenskiy courts 'Global South' at G7 summit

HIROSHIMA, Japan (Reuters) - Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskiy held talks with India's Narendra Modi on Saturday and was due to meet other "Global South" leaders at a Group of Seven (G7) summit aimed at broadening support for his country in its war against Russia.

The three-day G7 meeting in the Japanese city of Hiroshima has already agreed new sanctions on Russia and measures to stand up to what it called China's economic coercion, drawing the ire of Moscow and a complaint to the summit host Japan from Beijing.

Flown in from an Arab League summit on a French government jet, Zelenskiy, wearing his customary olive green fatigues, was warmly greeted by G7 leaders and held talks with Modi as part of a series of meetings with non-aligned countries in attendance.

Modi's Twitter account posted a photo of the two shaking hands, noting he had told Zelenskiy of India's readiness to continue humanitarian help for the people of Ukraine and its backing for "dialogue and diplomacy" to seek peace.

Modi, whose country forms the so-called BRIC group alongside Brazil and China, has not distanced itself Russia. Its oil deals with Russia are seen as undermining Western sanctions by
allowing Russia to continue benefiting from energy revenues.

A French presidential source told reporters that Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva would also meet Zelenskiy while in Hiroshima.

European officials said it was crucial that Zelenskiy came in person first to Friday's Arab League summit in Saudi Arabia and now to the Hiroshima gathering so that he could outline Ukraine's view of how the war with Russia can be ended.

"I think this is a unique opportunity to (have) exchanges with a lot of countries from the south and express your situation, express a message and share a view," French President Emmanuel Macron said.

"I do believe it can be a game-changer."