During the March 6-11 visit, the prime minister said he would "meet with partners and allies (to) discuss how to continue to support Ukraine... and to stand against Russian aggression."

At a news conference, Trudeau said he shared in a telephone call Thursday with Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky his "deep concerns" about fighting and a fire at Europe's largest atomic power plant in Zaporizhzhia.

The G7, of which Canada is a member, earlier urged Russia "to stop its attacks in the direct vicinity of Ukraine's nuclear power plants."

Moscow's envoy to the United Nations responded that Russian troops had exchanged small arms fire with Ukrainian forces at the nuclear plant in Zaporizhzhia, but had not shelled the facility.

"We need to see great care taken and a de-escalation of violence in general in Ukraine, but specifically around nuclear power plants," Trudeau commented.

Later in the day, the Canadian leader is to meet with members of this country's large Ukrainian diaspora -- which numbers almost 1.4 million -- at a church in Toronto.