We begin tonight with President B doubling down on his commitment to stand with Ukraine. The president held a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President V.Z at the G7 summit in Japan. This as Russia claims victory in the longest running battle in the war. But today, Z denied that Bakhmut, battled scarred and deserted, is entirely in Russian hands.

He was a last-minute surprise guest, and he’s definitely not the head of a G7 country, but there is no question who the undisputable big draw was on the last day of this G7 summit, President V.Z. Allied leaders sought him for a chat and reiterate their support, and President B announced a new multi-million-dollar shipment of US military equipment was on the way. On Saturday, in an about-face, the White House cleared the way for US made F-16 fighter jets piloted by Ukrainians to join the war. President B said he changed his mind to give the Ukrainians greater range as they advance. In Hiroshima, Japan’s Prime Minister showed V.Z around the Peace Park, a monument to the victims of US atomic bombing in World War II. It was a sobering remainder that V.P has implied he might use tactical nuclear weapons against Ukraine. President B was to have gone on from here to Australia for more international security meetings, but domestic politics meant that he has had to cancel that leg of the trip. He’s actually on his way home now to take control of negotiations over the debt ceiling.