By Canadian Press

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau makes surprise visit to Ukraine

Jun 10, 2023 | 2:26 AM

KYIV, Ukraine — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrived in Kyiv on Saturday for a surprise visit to show Canada’s solidarity with Ukraine’s ongoing efforts to push back against Russia more than a year after the invasion began.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland joined him on the trip, which began with Trudeau laying a wreath at a memorial wall at St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery to honour Ukrainians who have died while defending their homeland.

Some media outlets, including The Canadian Press, were made aware of the trip ahead of time on the condition that it not be reported until it was made public, for security reasons.

Earlier this week, a hydroelectric dam on the Dnieper River ruptured, flooding a large part of the front line in southern Ukraine and worsening the humanitarian situation — including the need for drinking water — in an area that was already undergoing shelling.

It remains unclear how the dam collapse happened. Kyiv has accused Russia of blowing up the dam and its hydropower plant, which Russian forces controlled. Moscow said Ukraine did it.

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This is the second time that Trudeau has made an unannounced visit to the embattled country since Russia began its large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Trudeau last travelled to Ukraine in May 2022, where he reopened the Canadian Embassy in Kyiv and met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in person for the first time since the war began.

Trudeau and Zelenskyy also spent some time together just last month on the margins of the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan, where the Ukrainian president continued his campaign to shore up support among western allies for the defence of his country.

Canada has joined other countries in condemning Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime for the incursion, including through economic sanctions.

Canada has also contributed more than $8 billion to efforts related to the war in Ukraine since last year.

That included launching a special immigration program to allow Ukrainians to come to Canada quickly with a temporary work and study permit, instead of going through the usual refugee system.

It also includes some $1 billion in military support, including the donation of eight Leopard 2 main battle tanks to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal visited Toronto in April, when Trudeau announced that Canada would provide assistance in the form of thousands of assault rifles, dozens of machine-guns and millions of rounds of ammunition to help the Ukrainian military fight Russian invaders.

At the time, Shmyhal thanked Canada for its support but also stressed the need for more.

Asked in Hiroshima what else Canada could do to help, Trudeau said that could include the Canadian military training pilots.

“We’re certainly not opposed to help in all sorts of different ways,” he said at the conclusion of the G7 summit on May 21.

He also stressed that countries pushing for a negotiated ceasefire must recognize Russia is to blame for the conflict and could end things by stopping its invasion.

“It is not a ceasefire that is needed. It is peace. And that peace can only be achieved if Russia decides to stop its ongoing invasion of a sovereign neighbour,” the prime minister said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 10, 2023.

— with files from The Associated Press.

The Canadian Press