Global Courant 2023-05-21 17:27:13
HIROSHIMA, Japan –
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued a strong rebuke to Russia at the end of the G7 leadership summit, which was taken over by the arrival of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who hoped to garner more support for his country.
Ally support has been critical to Ukraine’s survival in the midst of a Russian invasion, and countries pushing for a ceasefire must acknowledge that Russia is to blame, Trudeau said in Hiroshima, Japan, on Sunday.
“If we hadn’t been there with significant military support, Ukraine wouldn’t be standing today,” Trudeau told reporters at a news conference after attending the G7 leaders’ summit.
“We will not hesitate to ensure that Russia fails to make amends in this world,” he said.
Zelenskyy arrived in Hiroshima on Saturday after the G7 countries announced new sanctions against Russia and invited partner countries from the South to the summit, hoping to build broader alliances in the face of geopolitical threats from Russia and Ukraine.
During the three-day summit, the United States confirmed it will allow Western allies to send US warplanes to support Ukraine’s war effort.
When asked how Canada could support that effort, Trudeau said the Canadian military’s continued effort could include training pilots. “We are certainly not against aid in all kinds of ways.”
Trudeau, who met with the Ukrainian president on Sunday morning, said Zelenskyy’s physical presence in Hiroshima made a difference.
The G7 summit hosted leaders from emerging economies such as India, Brazil and Indonesia, as well as representatives from less developed countries. Some countries in that category are more economically dependent on Russia and are hesitant to criticize its actions.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who met with Trudeau on Sunday, has called for a ceasefire and proposed a club of countries, including Brazil, to mediate peace.
At the same time, he has refused to supply weapons to Ukraine, made comments blaming Ukraine for the Russian invasion and said the US and Europe are driving the fighting.
Trudeau did not comment on specific leaders’ approaches to the conflict, nor did he weigh in on his conversations with Lula. But he denounced suggestions that a negotiated ceasefire would be the solution if Russia could end the war simply by stopping its invasion.
“It is not a ceasefire that is needed. It is peace. And that peace can only be achieved if Russia decides to stop the ongoing invasion of a sovereign neighbor,” the prime minister said.
Against the backdrop of a city destroyed by an atomic bomb during World War II, G7 leaders vowed to chart a new course for nuclear non-proliferation.
“Most of us can’t remember a time when the world was threatened by nuclear war,” Trudeau said, when asked if the setting and the leaders’ visit to a memorial in Hiroshima had colored their conversations.
“The Cold War ended a long time ago and the danger of nuclear war is sadly forgotten by many.”
Trudeau said Russia’s reckless nuclear rhetoric, along with threats from North Korea and the uncertainty surrounding Iran, have brought to mind the need for us to remember the dangers of nuclear proliferation.
“We must take very, very seriously the threats to global peace and security that are currently around us.”
With controversy surrounding allegations of Chinese interference in Canada’s two most recent federal elections dominating political discourse at home, G7 leaders also agreed to add language about foreign interference to their joint communiqué.
“Foreign interference is a fact of life in all our democracies. It is nothing new,” he said, though he did not share details of the leaders’ discussions.
“There was clear understanding and support that this is something we have to struggle with.”
Trudeau added that the democracies need to strike a balance when it comes to broader relations with the world’s second-largest economy.
“We cannot simply choose to ignore China’s existence,” he said.
Still, G7 leaders have agreed to try to reduce their economic dependence on the giant.
“Economic security means having different options, having resilience in our supply chains. That’s ultimately good for the whole world,” said Trudeau.
Trudeau’s participation in the G7 summit follows his first official visit to South Korea, where the two countries reached agreement on critical minerals and youth mobility.
As part of its plan to counter China’s growing influence in the region, Canada is seeking to strengthen ties with countries such as South Korea and Japan.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on May 21, 2023.
– With files from The Associated Press.
