Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is assembly with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy throughout an unannounced go to to Kyiv to indicate Canada’s help for the struggle towards Russia.
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland is with him on the journey, which started with a wreath-laying at a memorial wall to honour Ukrainians who’ve died whereas defending their homeland.
That is the second time Trudeau has made an unannounced go to to the embattled nation since Russia started its large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Trudeau final travelled to Ukraine simply over a 12 months in the past, the place he reopened the Canadian Embassy in Kyiv and met Zelenskyy in particular person for the primary time for the reason that battle started.
Trudeau and Zelenskyy additionally spent a while collectively simply final month on the margins of the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan, the place the Ukrainian president continued his marketing campaign to shore up help amongst western allies for the defence of his nation.
Some media shops, together with The Canadian Press, had been made conscious of at the moment’s journey forward of time on the situation that it not be reported till it was made public, for safety causes.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visits an exhibition of destroyed automobiles in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday June 10, 2023. (Valentyn Ogirenko/Pool through AP).
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visits the Wall of Remembrance to pay tribute to killed Ukrainian troopers, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday June 10, 2023. (Valentyn Ogirenko/Pool through AP).
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau lays a wreath on the memorial wall outdoors of St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Cathedral in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Saturday, June 10, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn.
As of early Saturday morning, the Prime Minister’s Workplace had not revealed its normal itinerary for Trudeau’s day.
Earlier Saturday, Britain’s defence ministry reported “vital Ukrainian operations” within the nation’s east and south since Thursday morning, with beneficial properties in some areas.
The ministry reported blended outcomes from the Russian military, with some models holding floor “whereas others have pulled again in some dysfunction, amid elevated reviews of Russian casualties as they withdraw via their very own minefields.”
The ministry additionally famous “unusually lively” Russian airstrikes in southern Ukraine, the place it’s simpler for Moscow to fly planes.
Trudeau’s go to follows main dam collapse
Earlier this week, a hydroelectric dam on the Dnieper River ruptured, flooding a big a part of the entrance line in southern Ukraine and worsening the humanitarian state of affairs — together with the necessity for consuming water — in an space that was already present process shelling.
It stays unclear how the dam collapse occurred. Kyiv has accused Russia of blowing up the dam and its hydropower plant, which Russian forces managed. Moscow mentioned Ukraine did it.
Trudeau and Zelenskyy additionally spent a while collectively simply final month on the margins of the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan, the place the Ukrainian president continued his marketing campaign to shore up help amongst western allies for the defence of his nation.
Canada has joined different nations in condemning Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime for the incursion, together with via financial sanctions.
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Ottawa has additionally contributed greater than $8 billion to efforts associated to the battle in Ukraine since final 12 months. That included launching a particular immigration program to permit Ukrainians to come back to Canada shortly with a short lived work and research allow, as a substitute of going via the standard refugee system.
It additionally gave some $1 billion in navy help, together with the donation of eight Leopard 2 most important battle tanks to help the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal visited Toronto in April, when Trudeau introduced that Canada would supply help within the type of hundreds of assault rifles, dozens of machine-guns and thousands and thousands of rounds of ammunition to assist the Ukrainian navy struggle Russian invaders.
On the time, Shmyhal thanked Canada for its help but in addition careworn the necessity for extra.
Requested on the conclusion of the G7 summit in Hiroshima on Could 21 what else Canada might do to assist, Trudeau mentioned: “We’re actually not against assist in all kinds of various methods.”
Days later, Defence Minister Anita Anand introduced a workforce of Canadian Armed Forces medical trainers serving to instruct Ukrainian personnel in Poland would improve from seven to 12, and that Ottawa would donate 43 short-range missiles to Ukraine.
Canada has additionally not too long ago joined Latvia in delivering coaching to Ukrainian troopers being promoted to junior navy officers, constructing on a program that focuses on instructing battlefield ways.
In the course of the G7 summit final month, Trudeau careworn that nations pushing for a negotiated ceasefire should acknowledge Russia is responsible for the battle and will finish issues by stopping its invasion.
“It isn’t a ceasefire that’s wanted. It’s peace. And that peace can solely be achieved if Russia decides to cease its ongoing invasion of a sovereign neighbour,” the prime minister mentioned.
The Home of Commons overseas affairs committee took an analogous view after its February go to to the area.
“The strategic penalties of permitting Russia to profit from its aggression would far exceed the financial prices related to supporting Ukraine,” reads the committee’s April report.
“A frozen battle would go away Ukraine going through fixed threats and blackmail.”
