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Trudeau presses Trump on Ukraine peace deal ahead of Kyiv summit

by Olena Goncharova February 24, 2025 2:45 AM 3 min read
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrives for a meeting at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Summit in Washington, D.C., on July 11, 2024. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urged U.S. President Donald Trump to ensure any peace agreement for Ukraine includes security guarantees and prevents further Russian aggression.

During a Feb. 22 phone call, Trudeau emphasized that any deal must not be seen as appeasement by Russian President Vladimir Putin, warning that it could lead to future land grabs in eastern Europe and the Baltics, according to a source with direct knowledge of the conversation.

Trudeau left Ottawa on Feb. 23 for a summit in Kyiv, where world leaders will mark the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion. The summit coincides with a video conference of G7 leaders on Monday, where the Russia's war against Ukraine will be a key topic.

Trump recently authorized direct talks with Moscow on ending the conflict, excluding Kyiv from the negotiations. His administration’s proposal would allow Russia to retain some occupied territories while transferring control of billions of dollars' worth of Ukrainian natural resources to the U.S.

Ukraine war latest: Zelensky willing to step down in exchange for peace; Russia launches largest drone attack since start of full-scale invasion
Key developments on Feb. 22-23: * Zelensky willing to step down in exchange for peace * Russia launches largest drone attack since start of full-scale invasion * US mineral deal offers no security guarantees for Ukraine, NYT reports * Zelensky won’t sign natural resource deal that ’will be paid…

President Volodymyr Zelensky, speaking at a Feb. 23 news conference, insisted that Kyiv must be part of any negotiation and said he would step down if it ensured Ukraine’s NATO membership. However, he firmly rejected any deal that would hand over Ukraine’s critical minerals to the U.S. "I am not signing something that 10 generations of Ukrainians will have to repay," Zelensky said.

French President Emmanuel Macron and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer will travel to Washington this week in an effort to convince Trump not to abandon Ukraine. They plan to propose a European-led deployment of "reassurance" troops to bolster Ukraine’s security.

It remains unclear whether Canada will be asked to participate, but Trudeau’s discussions with Trump suggest Ottawa remains committed to supporting Ukraine as the war enters its fourth year.

Since the beginning of 2022, Canada has committed around $3.15 billion (CAD $4.5 billion) in aid to Ukraine, inlcuding air defense, ammunition, artillery, tanks, field equipment and clothing.

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A looming dropoff in U.S. weapons deliveries is threatening to strain Ukraine’s budding domestic arms production to the breaking point. As U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration prepares negotiations with their Russian counterparts, Ukrainians fear being cut out of negotiations — and cut off…

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