Ukrainian Canadians are closely monitoring the week’s developments in Europe as talks of ending the Russia conflict pick up speed.
But just how exactly that end arrives is top of mind.
The Ukrainian Canadian Congress tells CTV News it is worried Donald Trump concessions could spell trouble.
“They need to think about what’s best for (us),” leader Roman Yosyfiv told CTV News.
“The entire world has to stand together with Ukrainians to fight against this.”
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with U.S. Vice-President JD Vance on Friday.
He says his country wants certain security guarantees before he meets with Vladimir Putin.
“God bless, we will stop this crazy guy, and we will not have any war in the world,” he told reporters from Munich.
His sit-down with Vance comes one day after Trump spoke with Putin on the phone.
The new American president appeared to tell the Russian head that Ukraine would not be permitted to join NATO and that it would give up territory in exchange for an end to the fighting.
That sent many world leaders to the defence of the invaded nation.
“Ukrainians came here to Canada looking for peace, temporarily,” Yosyfiv said.
“They’re planning to come back to Ukraine to build that country, but if that agreement without the Ukrainians will be signed between Putin and Trump, they have no place to go.”
It’s unknown what specifically was discussed Friday, but both Vance and Zelenskyy called the talk “fruitful.”
“It’s important for us to get together and start to have the conversations that are going to be necessary to bring this to a close,” Vance said.
One Montreal political scientist believes Trump’s concessions would have far-reaching consequences.
She’s hoping the most recent talks moved the needle forward for Ukraine.
“An agreement with Russia right now on this would basically essentially say that rule doesn’t apply anymore,” McGill’s Maria Popova said.
“Countries are free to conquer whoever they want for whatever reason. It has implications for the future of NATO and for the future of security of Europe—much broader and deeper implications than simply the Russia-Ukraine war.”
