(Ottawa) Prime Minister Justin Trudeau flew to Europe to meet with allies regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He arrived at his destination in the middle of the afternoon.
Posted at 8:09
Updated at 3:20 p.m.
Mr. Trudeau left Canada on Sunday morning, ahead of meetings scheduled for Monday with the prime ministers of the United Kingdom and the Netherlands on the escalation of the situation.
In the following days, the prime minister is expected to meet with other leaders in Riga, Latvia, Berlin, Germany, and Warsaw, Poland.
He is also due to meet with the NATO Secretary General and members of the Canadian Armed Forces during his trip.
The prime minister’s office said it would work with its allies to respond to Russia’s military aggression and humanitarian challenges stemming from the conflict, which has driven more than a million people to flee Ukraine since the end of last month.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has pleaded for a no-fly zone over his country and lambasted NATO for refusing to impose one, warning that “everyone who dies from this day forward will also die.” because of you “.
But NATO refused, with Russian President Vladimir Putin making it clear he would view such a move as a hostile act.
Instead, the alliance of Western nations chose to send weapons and defensive equipment to Ukraine while attacking the Russian economy.
Other Traveling Ministers
Federal Minister for International Development Harjit Sajjan announced on Sunday that he will visit Switzerland and Eastern Europe.
He will meet UN and NGO partners in Geneva on Monday to discuss the response to the pandemic and the humanitarian crises in Ukraine and Afghanistan before traveling to Eastern Europe.
For security reasons, exact locations will not be disclosed prior to travel.
Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly has traveled to Europe in recent days for meetings with NATO and European Commission officials about ongoing efforts to sanction Russia.
Demonstration in Montreal
Opposition to the war seemed to be showing signs of running out of steam in Montreal.
Less than a hundred people gathered Sunday afternoon at La Fontaine Park before marching through the streets of the Metropolis.
Raymond Legault, one of the organizers of the demonstration, hopes that Russia will stop its aggression and urges all parties to negotiate a compromise.
“It’s not something you can ignore by saying it’s insignificant,” said Mr. Legault, who is also a spokesperson for the Collectif Échec à la guerre. They are great military powers. Unfortunately, for us little people sandwiched between the superpowers, there’s not much we can do except ask for negotiations. »
Mr. Legault said he recognized Ukraine’s right to defend itself. “But war is not an answer. This must stop. »