G7 Summit | Trudeau meets Zelensky, Russia and China at the heart of the discussions

(OTTAWA) Prime Minister Justin Trudeau slammed Russia at the end of the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Japan, which was marked by the arrival of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who hoped to bolster support for his country.

Support from allies has been crucial to Ukraine’s survival amid the Russian invasion, and countries calling for a ceasefire must recognize that Russia is squarely to blame, Trudeau said Sunday. in Hiroshima.

“If we hadn’t offered significant military support, Ukraine wouldn’t be standing today,” Justin Trudeau said at a press conference at the end of the G7 Leaders’ Summit.

Ukraine’s president arrived in Hiroshima on Saturday after G7 countries announced new sanctions against Russia and invited southern partner nations to the summit, hoping to build broader alliances in the face of Russia’s geopolitical threats.

During the three-day summit, the United States confirmed that it will allow Western allies to send American fighter jets to support Ukraine’s war effort.

When asked how Canada could support this effort, Trudeau said the Canadian Forces’ ongoing effort could include training pilots.

“We are certainly not averse to helping in any way,” the premier said.

Trudeau, who met with the Ukrainian president on Sunday morning, said President Zelensky’s physical presence in Hiroshima has made a difference.

The G7 Summit also welcomed leaders from emerging economies such as India, Brazil and Indonesia, as well as representatives from less developed countries. Some of these countries are more economically dependent on Russia and more reluctant to criticize its actions.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who also met Justin Trudeau on Sunday, called for a ceasefire and offered a group of nations, including Brazil, to negotiate peace.

At the same time, he refused to supply arms to Ukraine. The Brazilian president assigned some of the blame to Ukraine for Russia’s invasion and said the United States and Europe are boosting the fighting.

The Canadian Prime Minister did not comment on the approach of certain leaders to the conflict, and he did not intervene on this subject during his discussions with Lula da Silva. Mr. Trudeau, however, denounced the suggestions of a negotiated ceasefire since, according to him, Russia could simply end the war by stopping its incursion.

The presence of the G7 leaders in Hiroshima, a city devastated by an atomic bomb during the Second World War, was also an opportunity for them to commit to charting a new course for nuclear non-proliferation.

“Most of us don’t remember a time when the world was threatened by nuclear war,” Trudeau said when asked if the leaders’ visit to a Hiroshima memorial had colored their speeches.

“The Cold War ended long ago and the danger of nuclear war is sadly forgotten by many.”

Trudeau said Russia’s irresponsible nuclear rhetoric, North Korea’s threats and the uncertainty surrounding Iran have underscored the need to remember the dangers of nuclear proliferation.

“We must take the current threats to global peace and security very seriously,” he said.

Talks about China

With controversy surrounding allegations of Chinese interference in Canada’s last two federal elections having dominated political conversation at home, the G7 leaders also agreed to add language on foreign interference to their joint statement.

“Foreign interference is a reality in all our democracies. This is nothing new,” Trudeau said during his press briefing, although he did not give details on the content of the discussions around the leaders’ table.

“There was a clear understanding and support that this is something we have to deal with,” he said.

Justin Trudeau believes that democracies must therefore strike a balance when it comes to broader relations with the world’s second largest economy.

Yet the G7 leaders have agreed to try to reduce their economic dependence on China.

“Economic security means having different options, having resilience in our supply chains. This is ultimately a good thing for the whole world,” Trudeau said.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s participation in the G7 Summit follows his first official visit to South Korea, where the two countries have reached agreements on critical minerals and youth mobility.

As part of its plan to counteract China’s growing influence in the region, Canada is seeking to strengthen its ties with countries like South Korea and Japan.