Zelensky calls on Canada to help long-term peace

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OTTAWA — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on Canada to help spearhead a long-term peace plan with Russia. This is because the almost ten-month long war in Ukraine enters a critical phase with the approach of winter.

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The Ukrainian leader posed the challenge in a pre-recorded video address this weekend at the Halifax International Security Forum, which gathers government and military officials from Canada and around the world.

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Zelensky, who was invaded by Russia in February, told participants that a true and lasting peace between Kyiv and Moscow would require agreements in ten different areas.

These include withdrawing Russian troops, releasing prisoners of war, ensuring Ukraine’s nuclear, food and energy security, restoring Ukraine’s territorial integrity, and holding those responsible to account.

The Ukrainian President continued by encouraging countries to “select the items you can help with,” adding: ”

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Among those who attended the forum was Defense Minister Anita Anand, who also addressed attendees, saying that the Ukrainian army had won the war and that Russian President Vladimir Putin had just merged NATO and renewed its objectives. He said.

“The spirit and determination of the Ukrainian people and President Zelensky continue to inspire us all. The Ukrainian army is motivated, disciplined, better trained and winning,” said Anand. said.

Russia, facing an increasing setback after almost nine months of fighting, recently withdrew its troops from Kherson, a major city in southern Ukraine. But Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy and power facilities have fueled fears of what winter will bring.

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Ukraine’s power grid chief warned on Friday of hours-long blackouts as Russia targeted its energy infrastructure with artillery and missile attacks, cutting supplies to 40% of the country’s population.

Subzero temperatures are putting additional pressure on energy networks, said grid operator Ukrenergo.

“We always have to prepare for the worst. We understand that the enemy wants to destroy the entire power system and cause long blackouts,” said Volodymyr Kudritsky, CEO of Uklenergo. ) told Ukrainian state television.

“We have to be prepared for possible lengthy outages, but at the moment we have put in place a planned schedule and we will do everything to ensure that the outages are not too long.”

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Kyiv is already facing a “huge shortage of electricity,” said mayor Vitali Klitschko. About half of the city’s population, about 1.5 million to he 2 million, regularly go dark as authorities switch electricity from one district to another.

“This is a critical situation,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian and international investigators were pushing forward to uncover suspected war crimes committed by Russian forces during the nearly seven-month occupation of the Kharkov region.

The Ukrainian National Police said on Friday that police had filed more than 3,000 criminal cases against the Russian military.

Reports of torture and other atrocities by Russian forces also come from the southern region of Kherson. Ukrainian officials said they were investigating more than 430 war crimes cases and investigating four torture sites.

— with files from the Associated Press.