Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is heading to the G7 in Germany on Saturday without a Commonwealth consensus to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but with a heart of countries calling for help to overcome the consequences of the war.
Trudeau and Foreign Minister Melanie Joly arrived in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, on Wednesday for a meeting of Commonwealth heads of government, which has been dominated by the concerns of nations suffering from scarcity. of food.
In the final communiqué of the summit, the 54 Commonwealth countries said they discussed the conflict in Ukraine, “have stressed the need to respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all states” and “have stressed that all countries they must seek a peaceful solution to all disputes in Ukraine. ” in accordance with international law “.
Countries failed to condemn Russia, as Trudeau and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson have done throughout the summit.
“I can assure you that there was a lot of talk about the issue of defending Ukraine,” Trudeau told a news conference after the summit, referring to “strong language” in the statement.
A majority of Commonwealth nations condemned Russia’s actions in a United Nations vote in March, but 10 abstained. Among them is India, whose prime minister, Narendra Modi, chose not to attend the Commonwealth summit and spoke virtually with leaders from Russia, China, Brazil and South Africa.
Trudeau said Russian President Vladimir Putin has waged a disinformation campaign and has even been “telling outright lies”, including blaming the food security crisis on Western sanctions against Russia.
He said the food shortage stems from Russia’s illegal actions, including the blockade of key ports, as well as the deliberate targeting of Ukraine’s grain storage facilities through missile attacks. cruise ship.
“I was very clear with our friends and partners around the table, and I was not only clear about Russia’s responsibility, but also how Canada and the West are increasing,” Trudeau said.
Canada will increase the growing threat of famine at the G7 in Germany’s Schloss Elmau, Joly said.
He said Canada was in “listening mode” at Commonwealth meetings, where leaders of smaller nations were able to speak without the dominant presence of the United States, Russia and China.
“What is clear to us is that Russia is arming food and endangering many countries in the world and putting 50 million lives at risk,” Joly told reporters in Rwanda on Friday.
Trudeau had tried to meet with the chairman of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, for several days during the Commonwealth summit, but the meeting was repeatedly postponed and eventually canceled.
Shortly after Trudeau arrived in Rwanda, the government announced that Canada would dedicate a new ambassador to the African Union, which has suffered from food shortages inflicted on the continent as a result of the Ukrainian war.
Both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Putin have met with representatives of the African Union, with Russia blaming sanctions against its government for stopping the flow of grain.
At the end of the Commonwealth summit, Trudeau announced $ 94 million in funding for various educational initiatives and $ 120 million to support gender equality and women’s rights in Commonwealth countries.
Some of the other voices the prime minister has promised to focus on at his international meetings, including the G7 summit, belong to youth leaders who spoke at a Saturday morning event focusing on the issues facing the young people from all over the world.
Some of the delegates spoke about the devastating effects of climate change, especially around remote island nations where infrastructure cannot withstand natural disasters and reconstruction efforts take years. The attack affects education and health services, a forum delegate said.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on June 25, 2022.