Trudeau is meeting with Zelenskyy in Ukraine during surprise visit

This is the second time Trudeau has made an unannounced visit to the embattled country since Russia began its large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is meeting with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during an unannounced visit to Kyiv to show Canada’s support for the fight against Russia.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland is with him on the trip, which began with a wreath-laying at a memorial wall to honour Ukrainians who have died while defending their homeland.

This is the second time Trudeau has made an unannounced visit to the embattled country since Russia began its large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Trudeau last travelled to Ukraine just over a year ago, where he reopened the Canadian Embassy in Kyiv and met Zelenskyy in person for the first time since the war began.

Trudeau and Zelenskyy also spent some time together just last month on the margins of the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan, where the Ukrainian president continued his campaign to shore up support among western allies for the defence of his country.

Some media outlets, including The Canadian Press, were made aware of today’s trip ahead of time on the condition that it not be reported until it was made public, for security reasons.

As of early Saturday morning, the Prime Minister’s Office had not published its usual itinerary for Trudeau’s day.

Earlier Saturday, Britain’s defence ministry reported “significant Ukrainian operations” in the country’s east and south since Thursday morning, with gains in some areas.