Prime Minister Justin Trudeau walks through the city of Irpin with his mayor, Alexander Markushin, on the right. Trudeau made a surprise visit to Irpin on Sunday. Associated Press
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made an unannounced trip to Ukraine on Sunday, visiting the ruined city of Irpin, near Kyiv, ahead of an expected meeting with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky.
The visit was a top secret that the Canadian media was banned from covering for security reasons. However, the embargo was violated when a Ukrainian Twitter account posted photos of Mr Trudeau in Irpen with Deputy Prime Minister Christia Freeland and Foreign Minister Melanie Jolie. The delegation was surrounded by Ukrainian security officials.
As the photos were circulated on social media, the prime minister’s office issued a statement confirming: “The prime minister is in Ukraine to meet with President Zelensky and reaffirm Canada’s unwavering support for the Ukrainian people.”
How Bucha rises from the ashes after the Russian occupation
Jill Biden makes a surprise visit to Ukraine, meeting the first lady
The governor says 60 people died at a school in Ukraine bombed by Russia
This image, provided by Irpin City Hall, shows Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meeting with Irpin Mayor Alexander Markushin in the center wearing a T-shirt. The city was severely damaged during Russia’s attempt to take Kyiv at the start of the war.
Mr Trudeau and Ambassador Larisa Galadza later returned the Canadian flag to the embassy in Kyiv, which will reopen this week after it closed shortly before Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February.
Irpin was the scene of fierce fighting in the first weeks of the war as Russian forces headed for Kyiv, apparently planning to remove Zelensky from power. After the attack failed, Russian troops withdrew from Irpen and other areas around Kyiv, revealing the scale of the killings and destruction during the month-long occupation of the region by Russia. In Irpin alone, about 340 people died, including 290 civilians.
Russia has since redirected its military campaign to eastern and southern Ukraine, although analysts believe Russia still hopes to eventually take over Kyiv.
Mr Trudeau is the last Western leader to visit Ukraine since the visits of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Polish President Andrzej Duda, as well as the leaders of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
The trip comes on World War Day, the date on which Western governments mark the defeat of Nazi Germany. Russia is celebrating Victory Day on Monday with a military parade in Red Square and a speech by President Vladimir Putin, which many fear Putin will use to announce an escalation of the conflict.
Mr Trudeau and Mr Zelenski were due to attend an online G-7 meeting focused on Ukraine later Sunday.
Our morning and evening newsletters are written by Globe editors, giving you a brief summary of the most important headlines of the day. Register today.
Add Comment