(Bloomberg) -- Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau gave support to the decision by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to speak directly with Vladimir Putin on Friday, saying that ending the war will require some engagement with Russia’s president.
Scholz’s call with Putin angered Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who said in a video address that Russia deserves isolation and the phone call was “exactly what Putin has wanted for a long time.” Some European officials also disagreed with Scholz’s decision, arguing it shows weakness and will have little effect on Putin, Bloomberg News reported.
But when asked about Scholz’s call, Trudeau suggested it was good to have a line of communication open to Putin.
“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.” Trudeau said in Peru, where he was attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. “That requires a level of engagement with counterparts who in many cases we disagree with.”
Trudeau quickly added that Canada and its allies are still engaging closely with Zelenskiy. “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,” he said.
He said Canada is committed to Ukraine’s victory, and wants to see an end to the conflict as quickly as possible. “There are perhaps windows in which that might be able to happen in the coming months,” he said, without elaborating.
But ending the conflict on Ukraine’s terms will require keeping the US on board as the Donald Trump administration comes in, he said.
“Let’s also be very blunt: all the allies in the world would not be able to replace a complete withdrawal from supporting Ukraine by the United States,” Trudeau said.
©2024 Bloomberg L.P.