Trudeau says global impact of Ukraine war is worsening with time

OTTAWA (Reuters) – The war in Ukraine is hurting the entire world and the longer it goes on, the worse the consequences will be for everyone, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Thursday.

Trudeau made his remarks at a time when the United States and its allies accuse Chinese entities of helping Moscow’s military effort, and Washington and Ukraine say thousands of North Korean troops are in Russia.

“All of us and all of the international community must do whatever it takes to help bring an end to this war of aggression,” he told a Montreal conference on how to secure the return of Ukrainian prisoners and children detained by Russia.

Trudeau, one of Ukraine’s most outspoken international backers, variously accused Moscow of boosting food insecurity, helping spread disinformation, emboldening other totalitarian regimes and undermining international law, he said.

“Everyone will have to face the consequences of this war, and these will only worsen as Russia’s invasion continues,” said Trudeau. Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a special military operation, accusing Washington and its NATO partners of waging a hybrid war in Ukraine.

Kyiv says about 20,000 children have been taken from Ukraine to Russia or Russian-occupied territory without the consent of family or guardians. It calls this a war crime that meets the U.N. treaty definition of genocide while Moscow says it has protected vulnerable children from the war zone.

In 2023, the International Criminal Court issued warrants for the arrest of President Vladimir Putin and children’s commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova on war crimes charges related to the abduction of children.