Trudeau makes unannounced visit to Ukraine

Ahead of an expected meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trudeau visited the town of Irpin, near Kyiv, which was damaged by Russia’s attempt to take Kyiv at the start of the war.

According to The Globe and Mail, Canadian media were forbidden from reporting on the trip for security reasons.

But the embargo was broken when a Ukrainian Twitter account posted photographs of Trudeau in Irpin along with Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland and Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly. The group was surrounded Ukrainian security personnel.

In response to the photos, the Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement confirming that Trudeau is in Ukraine to meet with President Zelensky and "reaffirm Canada’s unwavering support for the Ukrainian people."

Trudeau and Ambassador Larisa Galadza returned the Canadian flag to the Embassy in Kyiv, which will re-open this week after having been closed since in preparation for Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24.

Trudeau is the latest Western leader to visit Ukraine in a show of support.

US First Lady Jill Biden also made an unannounced visit to western Ukraine on Sunday, the Associated Press reported. She held a surprise Mother’s Day meeting with Ukraine’s first lady, Olena Zelenska.