Jill Biden, Canadian PM Trudeau make unannounced trips to Ukraine

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Kyiv: In high-profile display of solidarity with Ukraine, Jill Biden, the first lady, visited to western Ukraine on Sunday. Earlier, Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also made an unannounced visit.

Continuing to oppose illegal and brutal invasion by Russia, Canada government today announced to lift all duties on import fron Ukraine for on year.

The move came after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau held a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv yesterday.

Canadian government said that Canada–Ukraine Free Trade Agreement (CUFTA), tariffs still apply on certain goods which were exported to Ukraine and these would now be excluded from it as per the new agreement.

According to the information, Ukrainian exports to Canada averaged $170.8 million annually, and Canada collected about $2.6 million in duties from these goods.

By removing tariffs for a one year period, Canada would continue to support Ukraine’s economy by ensuring that Ukrainian goods are able to enter Canada duty-free, a government statement said.

“Earlier today, Chrystia Freeland, Mélanie Joly, and I arrived in Ukraine. We met with President Володимир Зеленський and visited Irpin. We saw the destruction caused by Putin, but we also saw the strength & courage of Ukrainians – and as they continue to fight, we’ll continue to support them. In Kyiv, we announced additional military assistance and humanitarian aid to further support Ukraine. We also shared that we will temporarily remove trade tariffs on Ukrainian imports. For more on these new measures and investments,” PM Trudeau said in a social media post.