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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will join world leaders in Kyiv on Monday as Ukraine marks the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, as a Ukrainian diplomat urged Canada to “step up” its support.
Zelenskyy confirmed during a news conference in Kyiv Sunday evening that he will meet with Trudeau in person – one of 13 foreign leaders attending a summit on peace and security for Ukraine.“Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be here with a visit tomorrow,” Zelenskyy said in Ukrainian.“He is chairing the G7 at the moment so he will tell me what is happening with the relationship with the U.S.”The news conference was translated into English by Ukrainian broadcaster UATV.The Prime Minister’s Office has not publicly confirmed Trudeau’s trip and did not respond to questions about Zelenskyy’s remarks Sunday. This would be Trudeau’s fourth visit to Ukraine since the war began, and will almost certainly be his last as Canada’s prime minister. He has said he will step down after a new Liberal leader is chosen on March 9.Zelenskyy said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and delegates from Nordic and Baltic countries are also attending Monday’s summit in person, and two dozen leaders will join virtually.“This is an important opportunity to discuss Ukraine’s strategy and the framework for security guarantees,” Zelenskyy said.Ukraine’s allies are seeking to shore up support for the war-torn country as U.S. President Donald Trump pushes for an agreement to end the war. Trump administration officials have held talks with Russia without Ukraine at the table, and are signalling that an eventual deal could see Moscow keep at least some of the territory it has occupied since it originally invaded Ukraine in 2014. The U.S. has also appeared to accept Russia’s position that Ukraine should never join NATO, and is pushing Ukraine to give access to its critical minerals as compensation for American military aid.
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Zelenskyy said Sunday a deal with the U.S. on minerals was making progress, and that he would be ready to give up the presidency if doing so would achieve a lasting peace for his country under NATO’s security.“If to achieve peace, you really need me to give up my post, I’m ready,” he said.Responding to a journalist’s question on whether he’d trade his office for peace, Zelenskyy said, “I can trade it for NATO.”Both Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have called for elections in Ukraine, which have been suspended under the martial law Zelenskyy imposed when Russia invaded in 2022. Trump has called Zelenskyy a “dictator;” Zelenskyy had accused Trump of living in a “disinformation space,” angering U.S. officials. Oleh Nikolenko, Ukraine’s consul general in Toronto, told Global News the rhetoric coming from the U.S. is “counterproductive” and will only serve as “an invitation (for Russia) to commit more aggression.”Ukrainian officials said Russia launched 267 strike drones into Ukraine overnight on Saturday, more than in any other single attack of the war. Moscow has continued to fire ballistic missiles on Ukraine, including at least three on Sunday, as its officials hold talks with Washington.Nikolenko said Ukrainian negotiators are pushing for security guarantees from the U.S. as part of any economic or minerals deal.Trump and his advisors are calling on Europe to take the lead on shoring up security for Ukraine, which European leaders have said they are willing to do and Ukrainians say they are welcoming.Canada also needs to be part of these security conversations, Nikolenko said.“We think that at this time, it’s really high time for Canada to play a leadership role,” he said. “Canada can really fill several gaps right now: military support, humanitarian, demining, training of our forces.
“We really hope that Canada can step up its support right now, as we’re in a critical time, I would say.”Trudeau has called for Ukraine to be brought to the negotiating table quickly, something he expressed in a call with Zelenskyy last week. On Wednesday, Trudeau participated virtually in a meeting with European leaders convened by French President Emmanuel Macron to come up with a response to Trump’s overtures to Russia.Trudeau spoke Saturday with Trump by phone, and both countries said Ukraine was one of the topics of discussion.Ottawa is a major donor to Ukraine, with the Kiel Institute for the World Economy ranking Canada as fifth in overall allocations in its Ukraine Support Tracker, which span military, financial and humanitarian contributions.
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Canada ranks third for the amount of financial allocations of Ukraine, particularly in pledging loans meant to keep the country solvent and providing funding quickly after it is allocated.But Canada takes the 20th spot for military allocations weighted by population, and analysts have criticized Ottawa for delays in providing equipment sought by Ukraine.Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said last week that Canada wants to be “involved in protecting Ukraine” when the war ends, though Ottawa has not said what that might entail. Her office would not answer whether that meant Canadian troops on the ground in Ukraine.British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who will travel to Washington this week along with Macron, has said his government is ready to deploy troops to Ukraine to help uphold a ceasefire if one occurs. The two leaders spoke by phone on Sunday ahead of their U.S. trip and said the U.K. and Europe must “show united leadership in support of Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression,” Starmer’s office said.Nikolenko said Ukrainians in Canada are feeling exhaustion and “anger” as the war continues and the geopolitical landscape shifts, but would not say if that anger is directed toward the U.S.“Their anger is with the war — that war continues, that Russia fires the drones and missiles on Ukrainian cities, that Ukrainian civilians continue to die,” he said. “They’re angry because they want this war to end in a just manner.“I want to stress that there should be a just peace, and this is what the Ukrainians want.”—with files from The Canadian Press
