KYIV: Ukraine President Zelensky has said that a counteroffensive was taking place as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrived in Kyiv and criticized Moscow over flooding from the breached dam, Western media reported on Saturday.
Canadian PM visits Ukraine
“Counteroffensive are underway in Ukraine: at which phase I will not share more details,” Ukrainian President said at a joint press conference in Kyiv with Prime Minister Trudeau.
He made the comments after Russian President Putin claimed that Ukraine’s long-expected counteroffensive was already weakening.
Moscow has reported thwarting attacks of Ukrainian forces in the east and south. Zelensky said, “It is interesting what Putin said regarding our counteroffensive. It is significant that Moscow always feels this: that they (Russia) do not have long left, in my view,”.
He said that he was in daily contact with army commanders, including military chief Valery Zaluzhny”.
Trudeau made his second surprise trip to Kyiv since war broke out in February 2022. Canada has provided Kyiv with military aid, trained over 36,000 forces and adopted sanctions against Russia.
Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau condemned Moscow’s role in the destruction of Kakhovka dam in Ukraine on Tuesday. Kyiv accuses Moscow of blowing up the dam, while Russia says Ukraine fired on it.
Zelenksy asked international organizations to come to the assistance of those in Russian-occupied regions. Trudeau said his country would provide 500 million Canadian dollars in new aid for army assistance to Kyiv. He also promised Canada would be part of the international efforts to train Ukraine’s fighter pilots.
I welcome Canadian Prime Minister @JustinTrudeau and representatives of his team to Ukraine.
Despite all Russia's efforts to bow our people, Ukrainians continue to fight for independence and freedom. And in our victory, we will stand together just as we are standing now – on our… pic.twitter.com/sX5dUfP5kK
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 10, 2023
Earlier, Trudeau placed flowers by a wall of remembrance displaying the faces of troops killed in war. Prime Minister Trudeau visited an open-air exhibition featuring destroyed military vehicles of Russia.
