Volodymyr Zelensky met Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Ottawa on Friday, who promised to help his country at war “as long as it takes”, announcing the sending of new military equipment to Kiev.
After the UN General Assembly and the White House earlier in the week, the Ukrainian president is completing a diplomatic tour from the Canadian capital intended to maintain the momentum of Western support for Kiev to confront Russia.
Mr. Trudeau, at the head of a country which hosts a large Ukrainian diaspora, received the Ukrainian president in Ottawa in the morning with a hug, they held a bilateral meeting then spoke in front of elected representatives of Parliament.
Before Mr. Zelensky took the podium, Justin Trudeau announced a new aid package for kyiv worth 650 million Canadian dollars (452 ??million euros) over three years. It includes some 50 armored vehicles and the training of Ukrainian pilots in F-16 fighter jets.
“We will stand with you, alongside all the heroes of this courageous fight, for as long as it takes,” he said.
“History will judge us on how we defend democratic values. And Ukraine is at the forefront of this great question of the 21st century,” declared the Prime Minister between the woodwork of the House of Commons.
“Thank you,” Volodymyr Zelensky replied. “When we call on the world to support us, it’s not about an ordinary conflict,” he told parliamentarians, “it’s about saving millions of lives – it’s really our survival.”
Canada “has always stood for justice,” said the leader dressed in khaki military clothing, “and I had no doubt that you would choose the side of freedom and justice when Russia launched its war against Ukraine.”
“I hope that you will stay by our side until our victory,” Mr. Zelensky had earlier told the Canadian people.
With Justin Trudeau, he will then fly to Toronto, where the two leaders will meet business leaders and members of the Canadian-Ukrainian community.
This is Volodymyr Zelensky’s first official visit to Canadian soil since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022.
Canada, the last G7 country to be visited by the Ukrainian leader, has the second largest Ukrainian diaspora in the world after Russia, with some 1.4 million people.
Before this new aid package, Canada had already committed, since the start of the war, to paying more than 8.9 billion Canadian dollars (6.2 billion euros) in support of Ukraine, including 1.8 billion in military aid.
The shipment announced Friday of some 50 armored vehicles is in addition to previous announcements: eight Leopard 2 heavy battle tanks, an armored recovery vehicle, 39 armored vehicles, anti-tank weapons, drones and communications equipment by satellite.
Thursday in Washington, President Zelensky thanked Joe Biden for American aid and pleaded for this support to continue, even after a year and a half of conflict.
The American president, for his part, detailed new military aid of US$325 million and declared that American Abrams tanks would arrive in Ukraine “next week.”
The Ukrainian president also wanted to express his gratitude to the American Congress, which is currently debating the vote on a new aid package for his country, which certain Trumpist elected officials do not want to hear about.
09/22/2023 21:43:20 – Ottawa (AFP) – © 2023 AFP
