Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced $250 million in new food aid on Thursday and blamed the growing threat of starvation squarely on Russia as he prepared to meet with leaders whose nations are feeling the pangs of famine.
The prime minister is in Kigali, Rwanda, for a meeting of Commonwealth heads of government, where he hopes to rally support for Ukraine in its fight against the Russian invasion and provide assistance to combat the geopolitical fallout of the conflict.
Yet 10 of those countries abstained from a UN vote in March condemning Russia's attack, and Trudeau sought to leverage the difficulty they are now facing in feeding their populations to boost international opposition to Moscow. The new funding to address the food crisis, which Trudeau said would include money for the UN World Food Program, is in addition to roughly $500 million that Canada has donated since January to help address food insecurity in the developing world.
The prime minister laid a wreath at one of the tombs and crossed himself as members of the Rwandan military stood guard and played a sombre melody on the bugle horn. “We're there to support each other and there to move the bar forward on human rights,” he said. “We will, of course, take careful looks in every conversation at the challenges facing various countries and look for ways that Canada can help.”
Many world leaders, including Trudeau and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, attended a black-tie welcome reception and state dinner at the Kigali Convention Centre on Thursday evening, but others have opted to stay home.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Trudeau announces $250M in food aid, blames Russia for skyrocketing pricesTrudeau is blaming Russia for the skyrocketing energy and food prices that have left millions of people in Africa and other parts of the world struggling to feed themselves.
Read more »
Russia-Ukraine conflict to loom large over summits as Trudeau embarks on 10-day tripPrime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to arrive in Rwanda on Wednesday evening for the first leg of a 10-day trip to confer with other world leaders
Read more »