OTTAWA, February 24. /TASS/. Canadian Prime Minister Justine Trudeau has, in a phone call with US President Donald Trump, highlighted the need to include security guarantees for Ukraine in any peace agreement with Russia, The Globe and Mail newspaper reported, citing a source.
According to the source, the Canadian prime minister emphasized that everyone wanted the conflict to end but it’s necessary to make sure that "any peace deal for Ukraine offers security guarantees and prevents Russia from using military force to further expand its territorial reach." "The source said the US President didn’t agree with Mr. Trudeau’s comments but he also didn’t counter them," the Globe and Mail notes.
Trudeau and Trump held the telephone conversation on February 22. They discussed the situation and Ukraine, while the Canadian prime minister also briefed the US leader on the progress that Ottawa had achieved in addressing issues on the border between the two countries. According to the White House, both leaders said they expected a solution to be found to the Ukraine conflict.
Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the prospects for settling the situation in Ukraine in a phone call with Trump on February 12. According to the Kremlin, the US leader called for ending military activities as soon as possible and resolving the issue through peaceful means. Putin, in turn, highlighted the need to eliminate the root causes of the conflict. He also agreed with the US president that a long-term solution could be achieved through peace talks.