TORONTO: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau held a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and participated in the ceremony marking the re-opening of Canada’s Embassy in Kyiv, during a surprise visit there on Sunday.
Canada announced it will temporarily remove trade tariffs on Ukrainian imports for a year.
The visit was not announced in advance and did not appear in Trudeau’s schedule for the day. He was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister, Chrystia Freeland, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly.
The visit, according to a statement issued by the Canadian prime minister’s office, was to send “a resounding message to the world that we continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine and its people”.
In their bilateral, Trudeau assured Zelensky of Ottawa’s “unwavering support for Ukraine and ongoing commitment to help in any way possible”.
They also discussed the situation in Ukraine, and the need for additional international support, as well as “global efforts to impose severe and lasting sanctions on Russia” in response to its attack on Ukraine.
He also visited Irpin, where Trudeau “witnessed firsthand the reckless brutality” of the “illegal war”.
“Canada is leading efforts to ensure they are held accountable for war crimes and other egregious violations of human rights. At the same time, the Prime Minister also witnessed the strength and resilience of Ukrainians, and despite efforts by Russia, Kyiv still stands strong and proud today,” the statement said.
“As Russia continues its ongoing illegal and unjustifiable war against Ukraine, Canada will continue to be there to support Ukraine and its people. I would like to thank President Zelensky for hosting this visit, but also more importantly, for his leadership. Together with Ukrainians, President Zelensky is defending the values at the very heart of democracies,” Trudeau said.
Trudeau and Zelensky also participated in a G7 Leaders’ Meeting which also “commemorated the end of the Second World War in Europe”.