Reuters :
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made an unannounced visit on Sunday to the Ukrainian town of Irpin, which was retaken from Russian troops in late March after fierce fighting, the town’s mayor said on Telegram.
“I’ve just had an honor to meet with the Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau, who came to Irpin to see with his own eyes all the horror which Russian occupiers have caused to our town,” Oleksandr Markushyn said on his Telegram channel.
He posted a picture showing Trudeau standing on a street with destroyed and burned apartment buildings in the background.
The Russian military occupied Irpin following Moscow’s Feb. 24 invasion but Ukrainian forces seized back control. The town has been one of the hotspots of fighting near the capital Kyiv.
Canada, like other Western nations, has imposed broad economic sanctions on Russia and sent military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
Trudeau’s Liberal government has also created a special scheme for Ukrainians and their families to apply for a temporary resident visa.
Trudeau’s visit was carried out under a news blackout. However, photos of his visit to Irpin were posted on Twitter by the city’s mayor, who met with the prime minister.
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland and Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly are also in Ukraine with Trudeau.
Trudeau’s visit came on the same day G7 leaders were set to discuss the war in Ukraine, meetings in which Trudeau and Zelensky took part.
In a communiqué issued after the talks, the leaders condemned Russia – which was kicked out of the group in 2014 – and promised “full solidarity and support for Ukraine’s courageous defence of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
The G7 leaders began their statement by marking Victory in Europe Day, the anniversary of the Allied victory over Nazi Germany in the Second World War, a day that is celebrated on May 9 in Russia and Ukraine.
Seventy-seven years after the end of the war, the G7 leaders said, “President [Vladimir]Putin and his regime now chose to invade Ukraine in an unprovoked war of aggression against a sovereign country. His actions bring shame on Russia and the historic sacrifices of its people.”
There is concern that Russia will use its Victory Day event on Monday to mobilize its population in support of escalating the war in Ukraine.
The G7 leaders also promised on Sunday “further commitments to help Ukraine secure its free and democratic future,” including action on military aid, sanctions, cyber defence, financial support and human rights violation investigations.
“We remain united in our resolve that President Putin must not win his war against Ukraine. We owe it to the memory of all those who fought for freedom in the Second World War, to continue fighting for it today, for the people of Ukraine, Europe and the global community.”
