But, he said the written response to Russia also contains “serious” offers for a diplomatic path to de-escalate soaring tensions over Ukraine by addressing Russian concerns on other matters.
They understand that their fate is being decided by politicians in distant capitals.
Envoys from Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany met Wednesday for more than eight hours in Paris to discuss the separatist conflict in Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartland.
Participants included Marco Tronchetti Provera, CEO of Pirelli tires, who is president of the Italian Russian entrepreneurs committee.
Trudeau said he has authorized the Canadian Armed Forces to deploy 60 personnel to join 200 troops already on the ground, with further capacity to increase that number up to 400.
“We are seeing around the world right now a backsliding of democracy, an attack on democratic principles in many different forms,” Trudeau said.
Francis kicked off a daylong prayer for peace in Ukraine on Wednesday with a special appeal at the end of his weekly general audience.