“This War Should Never Have Started”—Trump, Trudeau Discuss Ukraine, Hockey, and Fentanyl Crisis

During a telephonic conversation, US President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau discussed their nations’ hockey rivalry, the Ukraine war, and joint efforts to curb fentanyl trafficking.

Washington DC [US], February 23: US President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau held a telephonic discussion on Saturday, where they praised their nations’ hockey teams, exchanged views on the Ukraine war, and addressed cross-border fentanyl trafficking, the White House confirmed.

“The leaders expressed pride in the excellence of both nations’ teams that faced off in a hard-fought hockey championship,” the statement read.

However, the conversation quickly shifted to Monday’s G7 meeting, which will mark the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Trump: “This War Would Never Have Started If I Were President”

President Trump reiterated his belief that the Ukraine war should never have happened and stated that it would have been prevented under his leadership.

“President Trump reminded the Prime Minister that the war should never have started and would not have had he been President at the time. The Prime Minister agreed,” the White House statement said.

Trudeau echoed Trump’s call for ending the war, acknowledging that Trump is the only world leader capable of negotiating a lasting peace.

Canada Cracks Down on Fentanyl Trafficking

Another key issue discussed was the ongoing fentanyl crisis, with Prime Minister Trudeau highlighting Canada’s new border security measures to prevent the drug’s flow into the United States.

“Prime Minister Trudeau informed President Trump that Canada has enforced a 90 percent reduction in fentanyl crossing the US Northern Border,” the statement noted.

Trudeau also revealed Canada’s Border Plan, which includes:

• Deploying thousands of additional frontline personnel to the US-Canada border.
• Launching a precursor chemical detection unit to prevent illegal drug manufacturing.
• Establishing a new drug profiling center to combat fentanyl smuggling.

The Canadian Border Czar is set to visit Washington next week to meet with his US counterpart, strengthening collaborative efforts against illicit drug trafficking.

With both leaders looking ahead to Monday’s G7 call, the discussion underscores the pressing global challenges facing North America—from geopolitical conflicts to border security and public health threats.

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Donald Trump, Justin Trudeau, US-Canada relations, Ukraine war, Russia-Ukraine conflict, G7 meeting, fentanyl crisis, US-Canada border security, hockey championship, international diplomacy, global security, war negotiations, White House statement