Biden, Trudeau vow to hold Russia accountable for war in Ukraine

By Servet Gunerigok

WASHINGTON (AA) - US President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau vowed to hold Russia accountable for its war in Ukraine during a meeting Thursday in Los Angeles, California, said the White House.

The two leaders met on the margins of the Ninth Summit of the Americas and discussed a range of topics including regional economic cooperation, the COVID-19 pandemic, migration, and food insecurity.

"The President and Prime Minister underscored their commitment to continue holding Russia accountable for its brutal actions in Ukraine and reviewed their ongoing efforts to provide economic, development and humanitarian aid to the millions of Ukrainians affected by the violence, as well as to provide security assistance to the government of Ukraine," said the White House in a statement.

During the meeting, Biden praised Canada for its "close partnership" with Washington "throughout this crisis and its leadership in enacting comprehensive sanctions and restrictions on Russia.”

"The President also stated he looks forward to seeing the Prime Minister in Madrid for the NATO Summit," said the statement, which is scheduled to take place from June 28-30.

Biden and Trudeau also discussed the potential of developing critical minerals in both countries and joint efforts to make supply chains and economies more resilient to external shocks, including through the work of the US-Canada Supply Chain Working Group.

"As major energy producers, both Canada and the United States play key roles in supporting security and resilience of supply chains, but Leaders also emphasized a shared commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 to decrease our reliance on fossil fuels," said the statement.

"The President thanked the Prime Minister for Canada’s support to bolster democracy in the Americas and throughout in the world, and for Canada’s support of the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity and the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection," it added.