Ukrainian President Zelenskyy raises sanctions on Russia in conversation with Trudeau

OTTAWA -- Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that the West must be ready to impose further sanctions against Russia for its military buildup on his country’s eastern border. Zelenskyy delivered that message to Trudeau in a Tuesday morning telephone call, which came on the eve of a key meeting in Brussels between the 30-country NATO alliance and Russia. The meeting is aimed at defusing the ongoing tension between the West and the Kremlin as the Russian military is massing on Ukraine’s eastern border, stoking fears of an invasion Russia has called on NATO to guarantee it won’t expand eastward into Ukraine, a demand the alliance and Ukraine itself flatly reject.

“The position of Western countries in the dialogue with Russia must remain firm and decisive. It is necessary to be ready for the immediate introduction of a preventive package of sanctions against Russia to counter the Kremlin’s aggressive intentions,” the Ukraine foreign ministry quoted Zelenskyy as saying. He reiterated to Trudeau that the West should not back down to Moscow’s demands on curbing NATO expansion. “No one but Ukraine and NATO should influence the process of our integration with the alliance,” Zelenskyy said. According to a Canadian account of the phone cal, Trudeau “reaffirmed Canada’s steadfast support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and emphasized that any military incursion into Ukraine would have serious consequences, including co-ordinated sanctions

“He emphasized the co-ordination underway between Ukraine’s partners in order to stand united in the face of Russian provocation. Zelenskyy also pushed Canada to extend its contribution of 200 military personnel to a NATO military training mission in Ukraine that is set to expire at the end of March ........ Source: aljazera.com