Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was seated next to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday, at the World Peace Forum in Paris organized to coincide with the 100-year anniversary of the armistice that ended the First World War.

The Prime Minister鈥檚 Office says that Trudeau spoke to Putin and 鈥渁cknowledged the Russian people鈥檚 extraordinary sacrifices through the two World Wars, therefore it鈥檚 important to have Russian representation here to talk about peace.鈥�

It may have been an awkward encounter for Trudeau, who has repeatedly condemned Putin鈥檚 actions, including the annexation of Crimea, Russia鈥檚 funding of rebel forces in Ukraine, Putin鈥檚 support for Bashar al-Assad in Syria and the alleged Russian poisonings in the United Kingdom.

Trudeau has also previously raised the possibility that dissident Pyotr Verzilov, a Canadian citizen, was poisoned in Moscow. 

Trudeau鈥檚 adversarial stance stands in contrast to U.S. President Donald Trump鈥檚. In Paris, Putin gave Trump a thumbs-up sign and patted his arm when he arrived.

Like Putin, Trump considers himself a nationalist.

At the peace forum, Trudeau, along with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, spoke out against nationalism.

"When people feel their institutions can't protect them, they look for easy answers in populism, in nationalism, in closing borders, in shutting down trade, in xenophobia," Trudeau said in his speech.

French President Emmanuel Macron, echoed the sentiment, calling nationalism 鈥渢he exact opposite鈥� of patriotism.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who sat on the other side of Putin at the event, implored the world leaders to co-operate.

鈥淚t鈥檚 easy to destroy institutions but it鈥檚 incredibly difficult to build them,鈥� she said. 

With files from The Associated Press and The Canadian Press