Your World Tonight - Ukraine summit in London, U-S sends mixed signals on tariffs, Liberal voting woes, and more.

Episode Date: March 2, 2025

"A once in a generation moment" for Europe's security. That is how Britain's Prime Minister Kier Starmer is framing Sunday's summit, aimed at achieving peace in Ukraine. In attendance was Justin Trudeau along with the leaders of more than a dozen European countries. The summit was planned some time ago, but it's taking on added significance after Friday's tense meeting between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy.Also: The White House is again sending mixed signals about its threatened tariffs. The U-S seems poised to impose the sweeping measure this Tuesday. But it's still unclear, if those tariffs will be as steep as originally planned.And: Around this time next Sunday, the Liberal Party will elect its new leader. Voting is already underway, but a voting app that was supposed to make the process simpler and more secure is now causing issues. 

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This is a CBC Podcast. Hi, I'm Julie-Ann Hazelwood. This is your World Tonight. On Friday in the Oval Office, President Zelensky pointed out that Vladimir Putin is a liar and a criminal and cannot be trusted. The Prime Minister says his support for Ukraine is unwavering. Justin Trudeau is in London joining a coalition of European leaders working to secure peace in the war-ravaged country. You'll hear what was discussed and what's at stake for Ukraine.

Also on the podcast, the U.S. Commerce Secretary says tariffs on Canadian goods are still coming this Tuesday, but they may be lower than 25 percent. The exact levels, he says, will be set by President Trump. And? We need to look under the hood of every possible way that we can make our local economy more resilient to any impact. Some B.C. municipalities are taking their own steps to fight back against US threats.

A once in a generation moment for Europe's security. That's how Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer is framing Sunday's summit aimed at achieving peace in Ukraine. Justin Trudeau was there along with leaders of more than a dozen European countries. The summit was planned some time ago but is taking on added significance as Washington appears to be pulling back its support for Ukraine. Many at the summit are saying the time has come for Europe to ramp up its own defenses. Tom Perry reports.

ramp up its own defenses. Tom Perry reports. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau brushing past reporters as he arrived at the London summit where he was greeted by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Starmer called this meeting at what he sees as a vital moment for Europe and especially Ukraine. We are at a crossroads in history today. This is not a moment for more talk. It's time to act." Stammer met this week in Washington with U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump has made clear

he's far less interested than past presidents in defending Europe and harbors a deep skepticism about supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia. Stammer says it's time for Europe to step up with a plan to end the fighting and guarantee Ukraine's security. The UK is prepared to back this with boots on the ground and planes in the air. Together with others, Europe must do the heavy listing. But to support peace in our continent and to succeed, this effort must have strong U.S. backing.

To try to win that backing, Starmer has announced a sharp increase in U.K. defense spending and is calling for a coalition of the willing to join the U.K., France and others in a plan to protect Ukraine. Whether that coalition will include Canada is so far unclear. We know that the Canadian military has ways that it can contribute. We're not going to get ahead of the discussions on how to keep a peace that isn't yet in place. Justin Trudeau today listed some of Canada's existing commitments to Ukraine, including training its troops and supplying the country with weapons. But the Prime Minister, who is wrapping up his time in office, says a decision on joining

Starmor's coalition will be up to a future government. Trudeau was more clear on another point. The Prime Minister spoke today with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was also invited to this summit. Afterward, Trudeau was asked about the ugly episode on Friday in the Oval Office when Zelensky was berated by Trump and his Vice President, J.D. Vance, who accused him of lacking gratitude for American support. On Friday in the Oval Office, President Zelensky pointed out, in so many words that Vladimir Putin is a liar and a criminal and

cannot be trusted to keep his word in any way shape or form. Donald Trump has so far been reluctant to acknowledge that. Despite that and despite Trump's stated desire to annex Canada, Trudeau says the US will always be Canada's ally. It was much the same message from the U.K. Prime Minister, who says the U.S. has been a reliable partner for many decades, even if European countries are learning quickly that from now on they may have to rely much more on each other. Tom Perry, CBC News, London. Before the Prime Minister leaves London, he is expected to have an audience with King Charles. Justin Trudeau confirmed the two are

scheduled to meet Monday. Charles is of course Canada's head of state. Trudeau says they will talk about matters of importance to Canadians, including threats to Canada's sovereignty stemming from the US. In this country, Pierre Poliev is also pledging support for Ukraine. The conservative leader was asked for his reaction to Friday's blowup between Zelensky and Trump. Here's some of his response. Russia carried out an unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, and Ukraine has been the victim of that invasion. All democracies need to stand with Ukrainians and their right to defend themselves and reclaim their territory. As politicians were meeting behind closed doors, hundreds of people took to the streets of London,

showing their support for Ukraine. While inside their country, Ukrainians are left to watch and wait. Breyer Stewart has that story. For the past three years, Ukrainians have been holding rallies in London every week, but Sunday across from Downing Street, the crowd swelled to several hundred because of the tumultuous events of the past few days. It's like a crazy situation in general. Natalia Kobarenko fled Kiev more than two years ago and told CBC News she feels more worried about the prospects for peace.

I'm not very optimistic for now because I see that Europe didn't wake up yet. And by that she means the threat she believes Russia poses to the whole continent. Like everyone else at this rally, she watched Volodymyr Zelensky's combative meeting with US President Donald Trump and Vice President J.G. Vance. You're either gonna make a deal or we're out. The exchange and possible implications elicited anger and fear among Ukrainians. They're very down. Yulia Bosnia says her parents living in the Ukrainian city of Tricasse

couldn't sleep after watching the televised meeting on Friday. Scary, to be honest. I think it was a pure provocation from Trump and Vance. I think they knew what they were doing. They were probing Zelensky and then he beat. With the U.S. and Ukraine relationship under even more strain, Europe is looking to take a larger leadership role. Finnish President Alexander Stubb was one of the leaders at

the summit. I think one of the big problems is that we're witnessing right now diplomatic cacophony. I mean the number of groups that are dealing with the war in Ukraine has been multiplying as we go along. Someone needs to grab a hold of it. Someone needs to show leadership. But with such fractious negotiations, peace can feel even further off in Ukraine, where some communities come under frequent attack. In Zaporizhzhia, at least one was injured in a drone strike on Saturday. This morning in central Kiev,

the faithful gathered at St. Michael's Cathedral, a time for prayer and reflection. For 22-year-old Alexander Kukhar, a time for prayer and reflection, for 22-year-old Alexander Kukhar, a hope for calmer days ahead. I want to believe that the American administration is now past its emotional and turbulent peak, he said. With time, the negotiation process will be in a better state. Until then, Ukrainians will keep trying to survive the war

while the politics continue to play out beyond the country's borders. Briar Stewart, CBC News, London. Still ahead? Voting is already underway in the Liberal leadership race. But some party members are running into problems. They say an app meant to make online voting more efficient and secure is preventing them from casting a ballot.

More on that later on Your World Tonight. The White House is again sending mixed signals about its threatened tariffs. The U.S. seems poised to impose the sweeping measure this Tuesday. But whether or not those tariffs will be as steep as originally planned is still anyone's guess. And as Katie Simpson reports from Washington, the U.S. may want something new from Canada. Both Mexico and Canada have done a reasonable job on the border. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick says the Trump administration has noticed improvements

to border security. And while the tariff threat remains very real, the U.S. president may not hit his biggest trading partners as hard as originally planned. I think there are going to be tariffs on Tuesday on Mexico and Canada, exactly what they're going to be. I'm going to leave that for the president to decide. Donald Trump had previously promised to impose broad 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico with a lower 10% tariff on Canadian energy products.

All under the guise of frustration around illegal immigration and the flow of fentanyl into the U.S. During an interview with Fox News, Lutnick seemed to suggest the numbers could change. That is a fluid situation. There are going to be tariffs on Tuesday on Mexico and Canada, exactly what they are. We're going to leave that for the president and his team to negotiate.

Ever since Trump won the election, he's made a wide range of threats with ever-changing justifications. Shifting goalposts have become the norm with a new demand emerging just this past week. Treasury Secretary Scott Bissett says to get out of tariffs, Canada and Mexico should impose their own tariffs on China. The Mexican leadership has offered to do that. We haven't heard from the Canadians, but I think that'd be a very good start. Trump is so unpredictable, Canadian officials are not expecting to know his final decision until the actual deadline arrives on Tuesday.

New tariffs are expected to make life more expensive since it is the American importer that pays the fee with the price increase typically passed on to consumers. Trump had previously warned voters to brace for short-term tariff pain. Now, he's just dismissing concerns outright about how his plan will increase the cost of living. And it's a myth. It's a myth that's put out there by foreign countries that really don't like paying tariffs. Trump continues to get plenty of support from Republicans, even in states that will likely be hit the hardest. Congressman John James of Michigan, the heart of the U.S. auto sector, is fully on board with Trump's plan. The status quo is not good enough for Americans,

which is why Donald Trump got elected. And frankly, even our allies have not been playing a fair game. Whatever Trump does, he'll try to justify his actions to the American people during his high-profile joint address to Congress Tuesday night. Katie Simpson, CBC News, Washington. As Canada waits to find out what happens, the Prime Minister is readying a response. JP Tasker on the uncertainty ahead and why some in this country say this moment is about more than just tariffs. Oh, the impact will be in the millions. US President Donald Trump could plunge the Canadian economy into a recession with the

stroke of his pen on Tuesday. For border town businesses like Sunrise Greenhouses, a 25% tariff could be especially devastating. Really, we don't know the true impact at this time yet, which is stressful as well. Rodney Bierhausen owns a Niagara Region greenhouse. He says half of the company's flowers are sold into the U.S. A trade war could price them out of that market. We are taking the threat very seriously and trying to be very proactive and responding. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is promising to hit the U.S. with retaliatory tariffs as

soon as Trump launches his trade war. We will have a strong, unequivocal, and proportional response as Canadians expect. But the federal government is still holding out hope its border crackdown will appease Trump's concerns about drugs and migrants, the reason he first threatened these tariffs. And Canada has the data on its side. The quantity of fentanyl seized at the northern border has dropped an eye-popping 97 percent in the last month alone. That's according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Erin O'Gorman is the president of the Canada Border Services Agency. Border Service officers are motivated to try and find more, are motivated to try and stop anything from going to the U.S. Still Canadians are nervous and angry. Consider this response to the star-spangled banner at a WWE stadium show in Toronto this weekend. We can't rely on him, and we can't rely on the Americans anymore. Conservative leader Pierre Poliev says Canada should pull back from the U.S., whatever Trump

does next. We need to take back control of our economy and bring home a strong, self-reliant and sovereign nation. It's not just the Americans. Other long-time allies are refusing to defend Canada publicly. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer dodged a question at a White House meeting with Trump last week. You mentioned Canada. I think you're trying to find a divide between us that doesn't exist.

That's left former Quebec Premier, Joshua Wray, feeling uneasy. There are very hard lessons we're all learning in this episode. The member of the Prime Minister's Council on Canada-U.S. relations says Canadians need to band together like never before. No one's going to stand up for us in the way that we have to stand up for ourselves.

So far, Canada's head of state hasn't said a word about Trump's taunts. Trudeau is expected to meet with King Charles on Monday. The main focus of that conversation, threats to Canadian sovereignty. JP Tasker, CBC News, Ottawa. Municipalities are joining the Team Canada response to US terror threats. Local governments are looking for ways to take a stand and fight back, from taking a

closer look at spending to supporting local businesses. Alexander Silberman reports. As soccer teams face off in a park in Surrey, British Columbia, residents are backing their city's fight against tariff threats. Hoping cancelling a contract for new American-made bleachers will send a clear message south of the border. We've got to stand strong and we can build this all in Canada. They should stick with Canadian-made and we should support our Canadian economy.

We are Canada's first city. Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke recently deferred a vote on an over $700,000 contract for the bleachers. Because they're made by an Indiana company, the city is now looking for a Canadian supplier instead. You know, when we hear the comments by the President of the United States, not only are they concerning, but they're extraordinarily offensive. So I think it was important that we make that very clear statement. That rejection of the idea of a 51st state and tariffs has municipalities across Canada

taking a stand. Vancouver City Council passed a motion directing staff to look at dropping American suppliers. Toronto is moving forward with a similar buy Canadian policy and Montreal announced it would no longer make any purchases from Amazon. We're not going to sit back and just wait for something to happen to us. Rebecca Bly is president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. She says communities are also preparing to support local businesses hit hard by tariffs. We need to look under the hood of every possible way that we can make our local economy more resilient to any impact.

But experts like Vivek Ashfinisht say the dollar amount of municipal spending in the U.S. is insignificant. He's a professor at McGill University and specializes in marketing and analytics and warrants canceling contracts comes with the risk of damaging cross-border relationships. So symbolism is important, but Canadians as well as governments or administrations should realize that we cannot take a knee-jerk reaction, which is going to hurt us. At the soccer field, residents like Jamie Hedges say they're happy sticking to older, wooden bleachers if it means sending a signal to the U.S.

It doesn't have to be a huge order, multi-million dollars to get cancelled for someone to notice. He believes while the cancelled order might be small, it could hurt small American businesses, and that could catch the attention of U.S. politicians. Alexander Silberman, CBC News, Surrey, British Columbia. Donald Trump has ordered an investigation into whether or not to slap tariffs on lumber imported into the US.

The Commerce Department has 270 days, that's late November, to complete its investigation. The White House says any resulting tariffs would go on top of other tariffs threatened by the Trump administration. Nearly half of US lumber supplies come from Canada. Around this time next Sunday the Liberal Party will elect a new leader. Voting is already underway but as Rafi Budjikane reports some Liberal Party members are facing issues using a voting app that was supposed to make the process simpler and more secure. Who is ready to try to battle through the Liberal Party app? Liberal leadership

hopeful Mark Carney at a rally to his supporters in Oakville on Friday. And vote for me. But it's no laughing matter for some. And I think that is particularly important right now in our country. David Ferry and his wife Kyra Harper are both Liberal Party members. They downloaded the Canada Post mobile app the party is using for what it calls a secure means to vote online. It requires uploading pictures of a passport and provincial ID and a selfie before letting users cast a ballot. It worked for Fary.

I was able, after a lot of hard work, to get my identification okayed by the app. But his wife was not so lucky. Could not get her ID accepted, could not get the app to work. So we went to the post office. They hadn't a clue what we were talking about. Not a clue. Tech support for Canada Post eventually recommended they delete the app and download it again on a different device.

I declare Justin Trudeau elected as a leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. recommended they delete the app and download it again on a different device. In 2013, when Justin Trudeau won the last leadership race, members cast their ballots online too. But there was no ID verification involved. Joe Rogge says he understands wanting to make the process more secure, but when the app projected a picture he uploaded, he also asked for help from Canada Post. They sent me a QR code and then the QR code I took into post office, they tried to scan it and it wouldn't work. So I contacted the Liberal Party assistance

through the email and I contacted him quite a few times. In a statement, Canada Post says its suite of services has been working as intended and there have been no issues since the service launched. It also says it relies on consistent identification documents to verify Canadians' identities and customers who cannot be verified would need to go through the Liberal Party of Canada.

In situations where folks have a variance in between their ID and what is being or what is on voter file, this is where we'll have situations where, you know, the staff will have to get involved. Sachit Mera is the president of the Liberal Party of Canada. And we're working diligently on towards doing that. The Liberal Party also says tens of thousands of members have already successfully voted. Of the four leadership campaigns, only the one for Frank Baylis has raised concerns about the voting gap, but the others

may speak up if the problems persist. Rafi Boudjikan, UNCBC News, Arwa. And finally, it's time to try defying gravity. That song is a career highlight for Greg Wells. He produced the track from Wicked and all the music from the blockbuster hit Soundtrack. The film is nominated for 10 Oscars at tonight's ceremony, including Best Original Score. Wells grew up in Ontario and has roots in Newfoundland, but working in the music industry he and his family have lived in Los Angeles for years. That is until January when a wildfire destroyed their

home. It all happened so fast. It's really hard to Process what it was like you being chased by a dinosaur You just had to like run felt a lot like that Wells has been in survival mode figuring out where they'll live and how to move forward But he's found solace recently in a place. He loves when I come here to Newfoundland, it's just like a peace. I think about being here all the time when I'm not here, and I feel a pull to being here. He's been spending his days in Winterton, Newfoundland, a community northwest of St. John's

where his nonprofit Trinity Hall is located. An old church turned music venue and local arts hub just down the road from where his grandfather used to live. He's been back for fundraiser shows, screenings of Wicked, to help keep the venue running for another year. What is this feeling, fervent as a flame? Does it have a name? Wells' studio was also destroyed in the fire.

His grand piano and recording equipment he used to produce Wicked all gone. But he says the kindness of friends, other Canadians living in LA and his community in Newfoundland and Labrador has allowed him to start rebuilding. Well says his next challenge is immersing himself in music. He's putting the soundtrack together for the second Wicked film. His ultimate hope is to channel the chaos of losing his home into creativity, to lose himself in the chords and harmonies and produce something beautiful. This has been Your World Tonight for Sunday, March 2nd.

I'm Julianne Hazelwood. Thanks for listening. My whole life will change Because once you're with the wizard No one thinks you're strange No father is not proud of you No sister acts ashamed. And all of us has to love you. And by the wizard you're acclaimed.

And this gift or this curse I have inside, maybe at last I'll know why. As we work hand in hand, the wizard and I...