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Trudeau calls for stronger support for Ukraine in wake of G20 statement

Prime minister also expresses concern about role Trump election may have in conflict
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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau holds a press conference during the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the final leaders鈥 statement from the G20 summit in Brazil is not strong enough on the war in Ukraine.

He is also expressing some concern about the impact U.S. president-elect Donald Trump鈥檚 return to the White House will have on global support for Ukraine.

Russia is a member of the G20 but President Vladimir Putin has not attended a leaders鈥 summit since before Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

That year the G20 leaders鈥 final statement condemned Russia鈥檚 actions and demanded it withdraw from Ukraine.

A year later the leaders鈥 summit ended with watered-down language about the war, and the final statement from Brazil today was even shorter and did not mention Russia at all.

Trudeau says Canada and other G7 nations and 鈥渁dvanced economies鈥 wanted a much stronger statement against the 鈥渋llegal invasion of Ukraine鈥 but the G20 has broader perspectives.

鈥淣o it鈥檚 not strong enough for me,鈥 he said.

Trump and his allies have criticized America鈥檚 financial support Ukraine and there are concerns the Republicans, who will soon have full control of the White House and Congress, will drastically scale back American backing for Ukraine.

Some of Trump鈥檚 allies heavily criticized outgoing President Joe Biden after he authorized this week Ukraine the use of long-range U.S. missiles to attack inside Russia.

Trump鈥檚 son Donald Trump Jr. and Utah Sen. Mike Lee were among those who accused Biden of trying to start 鈥渨orld war three.鈥

Trudeau and Biden discussed Ukraine in a 30-minute bilateral meeting in Brazil on Monday and Trudeau said Tuesday that Canada stands behind Biden鈥檚 decision.

鈥淚 have for months now talked about how important it is to degrade the capacity of the Russian military to strike into Ukraine with impunity because Ukraine hasn鈥檛 been able to strike on factories and military production sites in Russia,鈥 Trudeau said in a press conference from Rio de Janeiro Tuesday.

鈥淲e have called for that for a while. So I think it鈥檚 a good thing that the United States has done that and other partners are doing that.鈥

Trudeau said the summit came 鈥渁t a particularly challenging time in the world, for geopolitics but also for citizens all around the world,鈥 due to inflation, war and climate change.

鈥淭he world is not what it was 10 years ago,鈥 he said.

Trudeau acknowledged that Trump鈥檚 re-election has raised concerns about a number of issues, including climate change and multilateralism.

For Canada, continental trade is also top of mind as Trump has threatened to introduce new border tariffs and the updated North American trade agreement signed in Trump鈥檚 first term comes up for review in 2026.

There have been calls from premiers in Ontario and Alberta for Canada to consider shutting Mexico out of those talks as heavy levels of Chinese investment in Mexico have raised questions that it has become a back door into the North American market for Chinese goods.

Both Canada and the U.S. have imposed high tariffs on a number of Chinese-made goods including electric vehicles, steel and aluminum products. They both accuse China of overproduction and dumping.

While in Brazil Trudeau met with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, having their first in-person discussion since her inauguration in October.

Just before that meeting Trudeau publicly raised concern about the high levels of Chinese investment in Mexico.

Trudeau told reporters Tuesday that he 鈥渉ighlighted directly鈥 that concern with Sheinbaum in their meeting, while adding that Canada wants to have strong trade that benefits all citizens in North America.

鈥淏ut it鈥檚 up to the Mexican government to consider what position they鈥檒l take,鈥 he said in French.

The summit comes ahead of Canada assuming the presidency of the G7, a group of powerful economies with like-minded views on geopolitics. Last time Canada hosted the G7 leaders鈥 summit in 2018, Trump infamously stormed out after tense exchanges over the steel and aluminum tariffs he imposed on Canada. He called Trudeau 鈥渄ishonest and weak.鈥

The prime minister said he is not panicked about next year鈥檚 summit in Alberta.

鈥淭he challenge of working with an American president that doesn鈥檛 always put multilateralism and summitry at a high priority is going to be real, but we navigated it successfully,鈥 he said, noting progress at that summit on artificial intelligence and girls鈥 education.

鈥淲hen we stay focused on what matters for Canadians, on the principles and the things that are impacting everyone around the world 鈥 including American citizens 鈥 there鈥檚 always ways of getting through.鈥

Trudeau added that South Africa is aligned on that approach as it hosts the G20 next year, with a focus on how emerging economies can secure more energy.

Last week in Peru, Trudeau announced Canada would push for more nuclear-power collaboration with Southeast Asian countries, and he said that will be a key way Canada tries to form alliances with countries closer to China and India than with Western powers.





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