(Ottawa) The Canadian Embassy in Kyiv, whose reopening Justin Trudeau had celebrated with great fanfare during his surprise visit to Ukraine in early May, has quietly closed its doors.
Posted at 12:00 p.m.
On May 8, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly and Canadian Ambassador to Ukraine Larisa Galadza together hoisted the Canadian flag in front of the building in the capital. Ukrainian.
“I was very touched to raise the Canadian flag. It is a recognition of the bravery and the capacities of the Ukrainian people who knew how to defend this city. It’s very good to see the Canadian flag being there in the streets of Kyiv, ”rejoiced Justin Trudeau.
However, nearly three months later, the premises of the diplomatic mission are deserted, as noted by a reporter from Global News. “The blinds are drawn, the doors are padlocked and a sign in the front indicates that services are still suspended,” wrote journalist Ashleigh Stewart, photo in support.
Asked to provide details on this subject, Global Affairs took more than 20 hours to respond.
“In May 2022, the Canadian Ambassador and key Canadian staff returned to Kyiv to resume high-level diplomatic actions in person. Security concerns remain and as a result the ambassador and staff are working offsite in Kyiv to ensure their safety,” ministry spokesperson Jason Kung wrote.
“We continue to assess the posting of personnel to Kyiv as we seek to gradually restore Canada’s diplomatic presence and services to full, as soon as possible,” he added.
The Canadian Embassy in Kyiv closed its doors on February 12 due to the Russian threat. The diplomats had first been relocated to western Ukraine, in Lviv, before heading to Poland, where they worked for a while.
The embassies of most Western countries closed when Russia invaded its Ukrainian neighbor. Several have since resumed their activities in Kyiv, including the United States, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom.
Disappointment of the opposition
The opposition parties in Ottawa had all demanded, then welcomed, the reopening of that of Canada.
On Friday, the interim leader of the Conservative Party, Candice Bergen, regretted that “although the Prime Minister announced the reopening of our embassy in Kyiv in May, it remains closed to Canadians and Ukrainians in need”.
“Once again, this government is failing Canadians and our allies at the most important moment,” she continued in a message posted on social networks.