PM Justin Trudeau's proposal to put troops in Ukraine would leave his country vulnerable to US encroachment, according to a senior Russian diplomat

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has derided the idea that Canada could send troops to Ukraine. In a social media post on Monday, she questioned who would safeguard Canadian territory from potential US annexation in such a scenario.

The senior diplomat's remark followed Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's statement on Sunday that his government is open to contributing forces to a possible joint Western mission in Ukraine. British Prime Minister Kier Starmer announced the formation of a "coalition of the willing" once a possible ceasefire with Russia is reached following a meeting of Kiev's European backers in London.

"Who would defend Canadian land if the US expands north? Probably Ukrainians, who are dodging the draft in Canada," Zakharova quipped, alluding to the widespread evasion of mandatory military service among Ukrainian citizens.

US President Donald Trump has suggested that Canada should merge with the US, humorously labeling Trudeau as "governor." Comments by Trump and members of his administration questioning Canada's statehood have ignited anti-American sentiment in a nation historically aligned with its southern neighbor.

Canada boasts a sizable ethnic Ukrainian community, partly due to its role as a refuge for members of anti-Soviet forces fleeing to the West during World War II, including those who allied with or directly served Nazi Germany. In 2023 former SS soldier Yaroslav Hunka received a standing ovation in the Canadian Parliament before his past was highlighted by pro-Jewish organizations.

Trudeau has pledged to resign as leader of the Liberal Party after a general election expected this year. During a recent public debate, one of his potential successors, former Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, advocated for an alliance with European nuclear powers against the US, claiming that Canada's neighbor "is turning predator" under Trump. Freeland, a foreign policy hawk, is also the granddaughter of Michael Chomiak, the Ukrainian editor of a Nazi-controlled newspaper during World War II.