Justin Trudeau makes surprise visit to Ukraine

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made an unannounced go to Sunday to Ukraine, the place he reopened the Canadian Embassy in Kyiv and expressed unwavering assist for the embattled nation.

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Trudeau met Volodymyr Zelenskyy in individual for the primary time since Russia started its invasion in late February, showing with the Ukrainian president at a information convention.

He introduced $50 million in recent Canadian army assist for Ukraine, together with drone cameras, satellite tv for pc imagery, small arms and ammunition, in addition to funding for demining operations.

Canada is giving $25 million to the World Meals Program for meals safety in Ukraine and can take away commerce tariffs on all Ukrainian imports coming to Canada for the subsequent 12 months, Trudeau stated.

As well as, Ottawa is levying sanctions on 40 extra Russian people and entities — oligarchs and shut associates of the regime and the defence sector, all complicit in Vladimir Putin’s struggle on Ukraine, he stated.

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Canada can also be offering cash to assist and defend ladies’s organizations, human rights defenders and civil society, Trudeau added.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland and Overseas Affairs Minister Melanie Joly joined Trudeau on the journey.

They started the day in Irpin, a metropolis badly broken throughout Russia’s try and take Kyiv early within the struggle.

Trudeau stated he witnessed the resilience of Ukrainians as individuals rebuild their shattered world.

“It was a real inspiration to see individuals step as much as defend their lives, defend their group, defend a vibrant future for themselves, for the households within the nation they love,” he stated.

“It’s clear that Vladimir Putin is answerable for heinous struggle crimes. There should be accountability. Canada will assist Ukraine as you search justice on your individuals who Russia is killing and brutalizing.”

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Canada started cutting down its diplomatic presence in Ukraine in late January as intelligence warned of an impending Russian invasion.

Representatives from most western nations fled Ukraine because the struggle erupted, however greater than two dozen have already gone again, even because the battle drags on.

A number of of Canada’s G7 allies have already returned to Kyiv — France and Italy the third week of April, and the UK as of final week.

On Sunday, Trudeau, Freeland and Joly arrived on the embassy in Kyiv with a closely armed safety element.

Larisa Galadza, Canada’s ambassador to Ukraine, joined them in a flag-raising ceremony. They ended up elevating the flag together with the constructing after the primary flagpole chosen turned out to be damaged.

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“I feel it’s a testomony to how the Ukrainian individuals have been so robust and resilient,” Trudeau stated.

“And having our Canadian flag fly over the streets of Kyiv as soon as once more is simply one other testomony to the energy and solidarity of Canadians and Ukrainians, and the way we proceed to be with them.”

The Canadian Press was made conscious of Trudeau’s journey on the situation it not be reported till it was made public, for safety causes.

The Related Press reported that Jill Biden made a shock go to to the western a part of Ukraine as we speak to satisfy Olena Zelenska, the primary girl, for Mom’s Day.

Different world leaders have travelled to Kyiv in current weeks to indicate solidarity with Ukraine, together with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer, and European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen.

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U.S. Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi additionally went to Kyiv final week.

The general public itinerary for Trudeau posted Saturday prompt he could be within the Nationwide Capital Area Sunday and participating in a gathering of G7 leaders on the scenario in Ukraine. Nonetheless, the itinerary was up to date Sunday to notice Trudeau’s presence in Kyiv.

G7 leaders collectively dedicated Sunday to phasing out dependency on Russian vitality in ways in which present time for the world to safe various provides, and to ban or in any other case forestall the availability of key providers on which Moscow relies upon.

In addition they pledged to proceed to take motion towards Russian banks linked to the worldwide financial system, to combat Russian propaganda and to raise their marketing campaign towards monetary elites and relations who assist Putin.

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Trudeau’s go to occurred as dozens of Ukrainians are feared useless after a Russian bomb destroyed a college sheltering about 90 individuals in jap Ukraine.

The governor of Luhansk province stated Sunday that 30 individuals have been rescued from the rubble of the college within the village of Bilohorivka however the remainder in all probability didn’t survive.

Elsewhere, extra explosions rocked the Black Sea port of Odesa.

Ukrainian troopers making a final stand at a metal mill within the besieged metropolis of Mariupol stated they wouldn’t give up following the evacuation of civilians from the sprawling website.

– with recordsdata from The Related Press