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’ll meet with Trudeau in person – one in all 13 foreign leaders attending a summit on peace and security for Ukraine.
“Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shall be here with a visit tomorrow,” Zelenskyy said in Ukrainian.
“He’s chairing the G7 in the meanwhile so he’ll tell me what is occurring with the connection 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 didn’t reply to questions on Zelenskyy’s remarks Sunday.
This could be Trudeau’s fourth visit to Ukraine because the war began, and can almost actually be his last as Canada’s prime minister. He has said he’ll step down after a brand 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.
“That is a very important opportunity to debate Ukraine’s strategy and the framework for security guarantees,” Zelenskyy said.
Ukraine’s allies are in search of to shore up support for the war-torn country as U.S. President Donald Trump pushes for an agreement to finish the war. Trump administration officials have held talks with Russia without Ukraine on the table, and are signalling that an eventual deal could see Moscow keep at the least among the territory it has occupied because it originally invaded Ukraine in 2014.
The U.S. has also appeared to just accept Russia’s position that Ukraine should never join NATO, and is pushing Ukraine to present access to its critical minerals as compensation for American military aid.
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Zelenskyy said Sunday a take care of the U.S. on minerals was making progress, and that he can be ready to present up the presidency if doing so would achieve an enduring peace for his country under NATO’s security.
“If to attain peace, you actually need me to present up my post, I’m ready,” he said.
Responding to a journalist’s query on whether he’d trade his office for peace, Zelenskyy said, “I can trade it for NATO.”
Each 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 can only function “an invite (for Russia) to commit more aggression.”
Ukrainian officials said Russia launched 267 strike drones into Ukraine overnight on Saturday, greater than in another single attack of the war. Moscow has continued to fireside ballistic missiles on Ukraine, including at the 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 a 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’re willing to do and Ukrainians say they’re welcoming.
Canada also must be a part of these security conversations, Nikolenko said.
“We expect that presently, it’s really high time for Canada to play a leadership role,” he said. “Canada can really fill several gaps at once: military support, humanitarian, demining, training of our forces.
“We actually hope that Canada can step up its support at once, as we’re in a critical time, I might say.”
Trudeau has called for Ukraine to be delivered to the negotiating table quickly, something he expressed in a call with Zelenskyy last week.
On Wednesday, Trudeau participated virtually in a gathering with European leaders convened by French President Emmanuel Macron to provide you with a response to Trump’s overtures to Russia.
Trudeau spoke Saturday with Trump by phone, and each countries said Ukraine was one in all the topics of dialogue.
Ottawa is a serious donor to Ukraine, with the Kiel Institute for the World Economy rating Canada as fifth in overall allocations in its Ukraine Support Tracker, which span military, financial and humanitarian contributions.
Canada ranks third for the quantity of monetary allocations of Ukraine, particularly in pledging loans meant to maintain the country solvent and providing funding quickly after it’s allocated.
But Canada takes the twentieth 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 desires to be “involved in protecting Ukraine” when the war ends, though Ottawa has not said what which may entail. Her office wouldn’t answer whether that meant Canadian troops on the bottom in Ukraine.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who will travel to Washington this week together with Macron, has said his government is able to deploy troops to Ukraine to assist uphold a ceasefire if one occurs.
The 2 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 within the face of Russian aggression,” Starmer’s office said.
Nikolenko said Ukrainians in Canada are feeling exhaustion and “anger” because the war continues and the geopolitical landscape shifts, but wouldn’t 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 proceed to die,” he said. “They’re offended because they need this war to finish in a just manner.
“I would like to emphasize that there ought to be a just peace, and that is what the Ukrainians want.”
—with files from The Canadian Press
