The top priority for Canada at the Peace Summit will be the return of Ukrainian children illegally taken by Russia, stated Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, as reported on the government website.
“In two weeks, I will be in Switzerland, where I will speak to the global community about the importance of making progress in the peace process. I will focus particularly on the return of children that Russia has kidnapped from Ukraine,” the statement reads.
The Canadian PM promised Ukraine “everything necessary” to achieve victory in Russia’s war on Ukraine. “Canada has stood by Ukraine and Ukrainians and will continue to provide support: military, infrastructure, and everything necessary for Ukraine not only to win this war but also to continue to thrive and lead in the future,” said Trudeau.
In February, the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, co-chaired by Ukraine and Canada, began its work and presented a Framework Document at a meeting in Kyiv.
Since the start of the major war, Canada has provided Ukraine with various financial, humanitarian, military, and other assistance totaling over US$10 billion.
The Peace Summit will take place on June 15-16, 2024, at the Bürgenstock Resort near Lucerne, Switzerland. On June 2, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated at the Shangri-La Dialogue Asian security summit in Singapore that China is persuading several countries not to participate in the high-level meeting.
Earlier, Vitaly Portnikov, a renowned Ukrainian journalist and the Shevchenko Prize recepient, said that Russia and China are not so much trying to disrupt the Peace Summit in Switzerland this June as they are attempting to change its agenda, demonstrate that alternative peace plans exist, and reduce the idea of ending the war to a mere ceasefire.
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