U.S. must be engaged in Ukraine security: Canadian envoy

CTV News’ senior political correspondent Mike Le Couteur says Justin Trudeau continues to show support for Ukraine as he joins world leaders in the U.K.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has arrived in London for a security summit aimed at plotting a path to peace for Ukraine against Russian aggression.

Trudeau is believed to be the only non-European leader at the summit set for this afternoon at the historic Lancaster House in London.

In a post on social media, Trudeau wrote he is working with the group to “bring about a just and lasting peace in Ukraine — one that guarantees Ukraine’s sovereignty and security."

Canada’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Ralph Goodale believes Canada can help broker a type of peace that is “real and meaningful and durable.”

“Canada will have important things to say to move that conversation along beyond where it has been this last week,” Goodale told reporters late Saturday.

Goodale described the Oval Office confrontation between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance as “very difficult to watch.” Canada’s envoy to the U.K. said it also “presented another set of serious issues for the world to deal with.”

Leaders from the United Kingdom, Ukraine, Canada, France, Germany, Denmark, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Turkiye, Finland, Sweden, Czechia and Romania will be joined by the heads of the European Commission, the European Council and NATO.

The United States is notably absent from the meeting, and the shadow of that blowup in the White House will likely hang over the meeting. The visit to D.C. was supposed to help solidify trade on Ukraine’s rare earth minerals in exchange for security guarantees.

Despite their absence, Goodale believes the Americans must be meaningful participants in the process, “from a historic point of view and from a current peace and security point of view, that the United States be engaged,” Goodale told reporters. “Therefore, the whole point of the effort needs to be to develop solidarity in support of Ukraine, solidarity in which the United States is involved.”

Goodale says the meeting will centre around “the long-term security guarantees that can make sure that the people of Ukraine can count on peace as their normal way of life, and not under constant threat or constant oppression from an unreliable neighbour.”

According to a statement from U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer the goal of the talks is to strengthen “Ukraine’s position now – including ongoing military support and increased economic pressure on Russia."

Trudeau is expected to have a one-on-one meeting with Starmer following the summit on security for Ukraine and Europe. Following that, he’s expected to hold an afternoon press conference before heading back to Ottawa on Monday.