Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reaffirmed Canada’s position that Ukraine “must” be included in negotiations to finish Russia’s full-scale invasion during a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday, the Prime Minister’s Office said.
The decision was held days after the U.S. held a primary round of bilateral talks with Russian officials about ending the war, and as U.S. President Donald Trump increasingly attacks Zelenskyy — rhetoric the White House has refused to walk back.
“Prime Minister Trudeau reiterated that Canada will all the time stand in defence of Ukraine and emphasized that there might be no sustainable peace in Europe without security for Ukraine,” a readout of the decision provided by the PMO said.
“The leaders stressed that any peaceful end to the conflict must include Ukraine on the negotiating table.”
Trudeau and Zelenskyy also discussed efforts to secure “an enduring peace that permits a powerful, democratic, and prosperous Ukraine,” in accordance with the readout.
Zelenskyy wrote on X that he and Trudeau discussed the Canadian prime minister’s recent meeting with European leaders in addition to “continued military support” and Russian sanctions.
“We greatly value Canada’s G7 presidency this 12 months and count on its leadership,” Zelenskyy said.
The past week has seen a flurry of events that has left Ukraine and European leaders feeling sidelined from talks to finish the nearly three-year-long war, in addition to growing concern over Trump’s comments about Ukraine.
Officials from Washington and Moscow, after holding talks in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, said the meeting was a primary step and that the U.S.-Russia relationship needed repairing before Ukraine might be brought into future peace negotiations.
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On Wednesday, Trump described Zelenskyy as a “dictator” and warned that he “higher move fast” to barter an end to the war or risk not having a nation to steer. NATO allies have condemned any questioning of Zelenskyy’s legitimacy as Ukraine’s elected leader.
The day before that, Trump said Ukraine “must have never began” the conflict, which began in 2022 when Russia invaded its neighbour. Ukraine has sought to defend itself from Moscow’s onslaught ever since with the assistance of military and financial aid from the U.S., Europe and Canada.
Asked about Trump’s hostility Thursday at a press briefing, White House national security adviser Mike Waltz said it reflects the administration’s growing frustration with what they see as Zelenskyy creating roadblocks in the trail to peace.
“His frustration with President Zelenskyy that you just heard is multifold,” Waltz said Thursday of Trump.
“There must be a deep appreciation for what the American people and the American taxpayer, what President Trump did in his first term and what we’ve done since. There’s a few of the rhetoric coming out of Kyiv, frankly, and insults to President Trump (that) were unacceptable.”
Waltz said Trump is frustrated that Zelenskyy rejected a suggestion presented last week by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent that might have given the U.S. access to Ukraine’s critical minerals as repayment for U.S. support in the course of the war, in addition to future aid for Ukraine.
Zelenskyy has said the deal asked more of Ukraine than it has received from the U.S. and didn’t include any specific security guarantees.
Waltz — who, as a member of Congress, wrote in a 2023 Fox News op-ed that Russia was liable for the Ukraine war “like al Qaeda was accountable for 9/11” — didn’t directly answer whether he now agrees with Trump that Zelenskyy is more responsible than Russian President Vladimir Putin. He also didn’t respond when asked if Trump views Putin as a dictator.
“His goal here is to bring this war to an end, period,” Waltz said of Trump.
The growing tension with Ukraine was on further display Thursday when a planned news conference between Zelenskyy and Gen. Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine for talks in Kyiv, was cancelled on the last minute.
The event was originally imagined to include comments to the media by Zelenskyy and Kellogg, but was modified to a straightforward photo opportunity with no statements or questions. The change was requested by the U.S. side, Ukrainian presidential spokesman Serhii Nikiforov said.
Writing on his Telegram channel, Zelenskyy said the meeting with Kellogg was a “good conversation, numerous details.” He said they discussed security guarantees for Ukraine and the return of Ukrainian prisoners from Russian custody.
“We will and must make peace reliable and lasting in order that Russia can never return with war again,” he wrote. “Ukraine is prepared for a powerful, truly helpful agreement with the President of the USA on investments and security.”
Zelenskyy later wrote on X that his meeting with Kellogg “restores hope.”
European leaders including the heads of Britain and France have openly discussed a Europe-led security guarantee for Ukraine as a part of a peace agreement, which the Trump administration has said it supports.
—with files from the Associated Press
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