Trudeau, Ukrainian president talk sanctions, extending training mission to deter Russian military

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau today discussed extending Canada’s military training mission and the prospect of more sanctions on Moscow as Russian troops conducted a live-fire exercise on Ukraine’s border.

The discussion between the two leaders took place by phone one day ahead of direct talks between Russian diplomats and a 30-member NATO council — negotiations meant to dial back tensions between Ukraine and Russia.

In a tweet, Zelensky said he spoke with Trudeau about the security situation in Donbas, the eastern region of the country where Russian proxy forces have been fighting the Ukrainian Army since 2014.

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