Trudeau backs Scholz’s call to Putin over Ukraine
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has expressed support for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s decision to call Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the Ukraine conflict.
The Russian and German leaders held their first conversation since December 2022 on Friday. Scholz “insisted on Russia’s readiness to negotiate with Ukraine in order to achieve a fair and lasting peace.” He also stressed Berlin’s “unwavering determination” to support Kiev “as long as necessary,” while urging Moscow to withdraw troops from territories claimed by Ukraine.
Putin stated that the conflict was a “direct result of NATO’s long-standing aggressive policy aimed at creating an anti-Russian bridgehead on Ukrainian territory,” according to the Kremlin.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit on Saturday, Trudeau, who is known for his hawkish stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, argued that it is important to maintain contact with Moscow.
“We all understand how important it is to see an end to the violence in Ukraine, to see an end to conflicts around the world. That requires a level of engagement with counterparts who in many cases we disagree with,” he said.
He also reiterated that he remains in contact with Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky, who has expressed outrage over the Putin-Scholz call, saying it opens “Pandora’s box” and weakens what he sees as Russia’s isolation.
“Canada wants Ukraine to win, and the conflict to end as quickly as possible,” Trudeau said. He added that “there are perhaps windows in which that might be able to happen in the coming months,” without elaborating.
According to the Canadian leader, however, Ukraine can end the hostilities on its own terms only if the incoming administration of US President-elect Donald Trump supports this outcome. Trump has consistently called for a ceasefire, with media outlets reporting that one of the potential plans involves Ukraine abandoning its NATO ambitions.
Pressed on whether he could eventually have a conversation with the Russian leader, Trudeau replied, “It’s a good thing that there are conversations around this, but the level of trust that I have for Vladimir Putin is probably at an all-time low right now.”
As the Ukraine conflict has unfolded, the Canadian prime minister has consistently refrained from calling for a ceasefire and voiced support for Zelensky’s ‘peace formula’, which demands the full withdrawal of Russian troops from territories claimed by Kiev. He has also stressed that any peace settlement must respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and independence rather than embolden Russia.
