It is now on or about day seventy-five of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and it looks like all of the civilians have been evacuated from under the steel plant in Mariupol. Up next to be evacuated are the wounded and medics, presuming that the agreement continues to hold, while the remaining Ukrainian forces under that plant make a final stand. As well, Ukraine’s counter-offensive near Kharkiv continues, as it remains the target of Russian shelling. The heavy weapons arriving from the West could be the key to turning the tide of this particular front. Russians also targeted a school being used as a shelter in Zaporizhzhia, where sixty people are feared to be dead. Also this weekend, US First Lady Jill Biden was in the region to hear from mothers who had evacuated to Romania, and later went into Ukraine and met with Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s wife, Olena Zelenska, as a show of support.
On this Mother’s Day, my heart is with you, First Lady Olena Zelenska, and all of the brave and resilient mothers of Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/tCMXCXhgiY
— Jill Biden (@FLOTUS) May 8, 2022
The big news for us, however, was the arrival of Justin Trudeau, Chrystia Freeland, and Mélanie Joly in Ukraine, first to visit the Kyiv suburb of Irpin, where they witnessed the devastation at Russian hands for themselves, before heading into Kyiv to raise the flag and reopen the Canadian embassy, and then to meet with Zelenskyy. Trudeau announced a new round of supports and sanctions, and was soon after followed by a declaration from G7 leaders to pledge solidarity with Ukraine, with the added symbolism that it was Victory in Europe Day, which marked the end of the Second World War.
https://twitter.com/PaulCTV/status/1523303970571452416
Zelensky presented Patron the demining dog and his owner Myhailo Iliev with the state award "For Dedicated Service" today during a meeting with Justin Trudeau. The Chernihiv demining team has used Canadian technology in its work. Congrats Patron! (via @TimListerCNN) pic.twitter.com/FLm89Rhzxd
— Natasha Bertrand (@NatashaBertrand) May 8, 2022
Looks like Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Zelensky dialed in with Trudeau during today's G7 call– in a joint statement, the G7 leaders confirmed Zelensky participated, while Trudeau is in Ukraine today meeting with Zelensksy. https://t.co/HaNxMwsooU pic.twitter.com/xBqA7bDUHK
— DJ Judd (@DJJudd) May 8, 2022
Lengthy PMO readout on Trudeau’s trip to Kyiv with Freeland and Joly: pic.twitter.com/MHvWtSMwQM
— Dale Smith (@journo_dale) May 8, 2022