PM speaks with Zelenskyy, repeats call for Ukraine’s involvement in U.S.-Russia talks

By Canadian Press on February 20, 2025.

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke today with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as Washington and Moscow talk about a possible end to Russia’s war.

Trudeau says Canada “will always stand in defence of Ukraine” and adds that Europe cannot have sustainable peace without security for Ukraine.

He is repeating his call for Ukraine to be at the negotiating table as U.S. President Donald Trump’s officials meet with their Russian counterparts to discuss a possible deal.

Trump has claimed Ukraine somehow started the war, which actually started when Russia took parts of the country in 2014 and then launched a full-scale invasion nearly three years ago.

Ukrainians have reported a recent increase in airstrikes, including attacks on energy infrastructure, though Russia has repeatedly denied it is targeting critical infrastructure.

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly has said Canada wants to be “involved in protecting Ukraine” when the war ends, though the government has not said what that might entail.

On Wednesday, Trudeau spoke with European leaders convened by French President Emmanuel Macron to come up with a response to Trump’s overtures to Russia.

Macron said on social media that the talks included Trudeau and leaders from EU countries, Iceland and Norway, adding they agreed on the need to spend more on defence.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 20, 2025.

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press