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U.S. President Donald Trump’s pivotal assembly Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin is being watched with cautious optimism by Ukrainian Canadians, who’re hopeful that Ukraine’s pursuits and rights can be upheld within the push to finish the struggle.
Canada is dwelling to the second-largest Ukrainian diaspora on this planet, which grew bigger after the nation accepted Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Whereas they mistrust Putin’s willingness to barter a ceasefire or surrender his territorial ambitions, group leaders say they admire Canada’s function in guaranteeing Ukraine has a seat on the desk.
“We’re watching this with curiosity,” mentioned Ihor Michalchyshyn, CEO and govt director of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress.
“I believe we’re going to search out out, is President Trump there to be an ally of Russia or an ally of Ukraine, or some third possibility?”
Trump has lowered expectations for what may emerge from the summit, saying Thursday he needs to “set the desk” for a second assembly between himself, Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
These feedback got here after European leaders, together with Prime Minister Mark Carney, stood united in voicing “shared ideas, together with that selections on the way forward for Ukraine have to be made by Ukrainians” in a digital assembly Wednesday that included Zelenskyy and U.S. Vice-President JD Vance.
Trump briefed Zelenskyy, Carney and European leaders on the upcoming summit with Putin in a name on Wednesday, and has promised to transient them once more following the assembly.
“We really feel that with Europe, with Canada, with Ukraine form of talking with one voice to the American president, he’s listening,” Michalchyshyn mentioned.
“We hope that this can be what he takes into the assembly with the Russians, however you by no means know … what Putin will do in a room with Trump.”
Canada has been one of the vocal defenders of Ukraine since Russia first invaded and annexed Crimea in 2014, and notably after Russia’s full-scale invasion started in February 2022.
That help has continued since Carney turned prime minister earlier this 12 months.
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He hosted Zelenskyy at this summer time’s G7 summit in Alberta, the place Carney introduced a brand new navy help bundle price over $2 billion — pulled from previously-announced funding — in addition to the primary tranche of cash backed by frozen Russian belongings that may go towards rebuilding Ukraine following the struggle.
Carney affirmed in calls with Zelenskyy and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer this week that Canada welcomes Trump’s management in searching for an finish to the struggle, however that Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity have to be protected.
Canadians see ‘parallel’ between Ukraine, 51st state threats
Assist for Ukraine has additionally come from Canadians themselves via humanitarian help donations.
The Canada-Ukraine Basis, which focuses on getting that help delivered to Ukraine and different humanitarian efforts, says it has despatched over $95 million to the nation since 2022.
Valeriy Kostyuk, the group’s govt director, mentioned there have been noticeable upticks in help and donations to this point this 12 months — notably after Trump and Zelenskyy’s disastrous assembly within the Oval Workplace in February, but in addition following Trump’s threats to make Canada the 51st U.S. state.
“It’s a parallel,” he informed World Information of the threats to Canada’s sovereignty.
“I believe that have allowed Canadians to narrate somewhat bit extra to the problems that began in 2014 (for Ukraine).”
Kostyuk mentioned the CUF and different Canadian charities have helped fill among the humanitarian funding gaps in Ukraine left by the dismantling of the U.S. Company for Worldwide Growth (USAID) earlier this 12 months.
The CUF’s newest mission has been to strive reuniting Ukrainian kids forcibly eliminated by Russian forces with their households — a problem the Canadian authorities has been co-leading worldwide efforts to resolve.
Over 19,000 Ukrainian kids have been relocated to Russia, with many adopted by Russian households or held in “summer time camps.”
Researchers and advocates say the objective is to erase the youngsters’s Ukrainian identification and put together them for navy conscription after they grow to be adults.
Former prime minister Justin Trudeau final 12 months accused Russia of committing an “factor of genocide.”
That Russian effort is symbolic of the necessity to rise up forcibly in opposition to Putin in negotiations, Kostyuk mentioned.
Russia at present controls round a fifth of Ukraine’s territory, and Zelenskyy and the Europeans fear {that a} deal set by Trump and Putin may cement these positive factors.
Trump has acknowledged the potential of “land-swapping” below a future deal, however has additionally promised to get some territory again for Ukraine.
Michalchyshyn mentioned the main target for himself and the Ukrainian group is to make sure the prospect of giving up occupied territory doesn’t grow to be a actuality.
“Holding agency to the truth that Ukraine’s territorial integrity and decision-making processes are its personal, and never being ceded to another person or negotiated away — that there are key traces to carry to — that’s what we’re seeing is probably the most important function of European and Canadian management at this level,” he mentioned.
Zelenskyy has criticized any discuss of Ukraine ceding any territory to Russia, noting Ukraine’s territorial borders are enshrined in its structure and would require a referendum to change.
Trump mentioned Monday he’s “somewhat bit bothered” by that.
Kostyuk mentioned there are historic parallels to what may emerge out of Friday’s U.S.-Russia summit.
“Very often we evaluate the crossroad at which Trump at present is to Chamberlain’s strategy of appeasing and coping with Hitler,” he mentioned, referring to the 1938 Munich Settlement that ceded the Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia to Germany.
Historians have criticized that deal for setting the stage for Hitler’s additional incursions into Europe, and finally the Second World Struggle.
“The sentiment from inside the (Ukrainian Canadian) group has been constant: that appeasement of the aggressor at the price of the sufferer, which is Ukraine, is just not going to deliver a sustainable and simply peace,” mentioned Kostyuk.
“Supporting justice has been one thing that the group has been calling for.”
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