Biden Won’t Apologize For Atomic Bomb In Japan

The White House said on Wednesday that President Biden would not be issuing an apology on behalf of the country for dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima in 1945 when he participates in the wreath-laying ceremony at Hiroshima’s peace memorial park with the other leaders of the Group of Seven this week, the Washington Times reported.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he chose Hiroshima as the site of this year’s G7 economic summit to highlight the risks of nuclear proliferation, especially in light of North Korea’s recent spate of missile tests and Russia’s threat to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, according to the Associated Press.

Prime Minister Kishida, whose family is from Hiroshima, hopes that the choice of city will underscore his country’s “commitment to world peace” and help build momentum for a “world without nuclear weapons.”

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the president would be participating in the wreath-laying ceremony but would not be making any remarks during the event.

Sullivan said the president, along with the other G7 leaders, was participating in the ceremony solely to pay his respects.

During the G7 summit, the president will hold a series of meetings with world leaders on a variety of issues, including the global economy, climate change, the renewed tensions with China, and the ongoing war in Ukraine.

On Thursday, the president met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida where the two leaders discussed the strength of the US/Japan alliance, the Associated Press reported.

Biden told those assembled that when the US and Japan “stand together,” they are stronger and “the world is safer.” Prime Minister Kishida noted that with the current global tensions, the cooperation between the US and Japan “has evolved in leaps and bounds.” 

The G7 consists of the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan, as well as the European Union.

This year’s G7 economic summit will also include leaders from invited countries, including Vietnam, South Korea, Brazil, India, and Australia.