On Sunday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau paid a surprise visit to Kyiv, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and briefly toured a bombed-out township.
At the same time, he reopened the Canadian Embassy and welcomed the Ambassador to the beleaguered capital.
The visit took place on the same day that Russian missiles pounded the southern port city of Odessa and heavy fighting erupted in the east of the country, including around Kharkiv, the second largest city in the country. ‘Ukraine.
Trudeau visited the town of Irpin on the outskirts of Kyiv, which saw some of the heaviest fighting in March as Russian forces attempted to storm the capital.
I am in Ukraine with @cafreeland and @melaniejoly today. We are here to show our support for Ukraine and its people. Our message to the President @ZelenskyyUa and Ukrainians is this: Canada will always stand with Ukraine. More to come when we visit.
Ukrainian troops effectively halted the advance in the area and repelled the invading force.
The Prime Minister’s visit took place under cover of a media blackout. However, photos of Trudeau’s visit to Irpin were posted on Twitter by the town’s mayor, who met Trudeau.
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly are also in Ukraine with the Prime Minister.
