After the United States on Thursday, Volodymyr Zelensky is, as part of his tour of North America, this Friday, September 22, in Canada. A country where the Ukrainian community is large and where support for kyiv since the start of the conflict with Russia remains particularly strong. Arriving late Thursday in Ottawa, Zelensky was greeted by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The latter renewed his unwavering support for Ukraine.
Volodymyr Zelensky, accompanied by his Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, is scheduled to meet the Governor General of Canada, Mary Simon, and deliver a speech to the Canadian Parliament. With Justin Trudeau, he must then fly to the metropolis Toronto, where the two heads of state will meet business leaders and members of the Canadian-Ukrainian community.
Canada, the last G7 country to be visited by the leader, has the second largest Ukrainian diaspora in the world after Russia with some 1.4 million people of Ukrainian origin on its territory.
This is the first official visit by the Ukrainian president to Canadian soil since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022. In March, Volodymyr Zelensky addressed Canadian parliamentarians by videoconference.
“The Ukrainian people are the spearhead that, right now, is determining the future of the 21st century,” Prime Minister Trudeau said in a statement Thursday evening. He assured that Canada will remain alongside Ukraine “as long as it takes” and that the country will continue to provide “unwavering support to the Ukrainian people who are fighting for their sovereignty and democracy.”
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Canada has committed more than $8.9 billion in support to Ukraine through a wide range of measures, “including $4.95 billion in direct financial support and more than $1.8 billion in military aid.”
“This visit comes at a crucial time as Ukrainian soldiers courageously defend their country and freedom in Europe,” Alexandra Chyczij, president of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, said in a statement. “Ukraine will win, but Ukraine needs our help,” she added. “This is a historic opportunity for Canada to support Ukraine’s victory. »
On Thursday, President Zelensky, visiting Washington, thanked United States President Joe Biden for the American aid provided and pleaded for this support to continue even after a year and a half of conflict.
Joe Biden, for his part, detailed new military aid of $325 million on Thursday, without however the long-range tactical missiles that kyiv insists on. President Biden also guaranteed that another iconic American weapon, the Abrams tanks, would arrive in Ukraine “next week.”
The Prime Minister of Canada visited Ukraine in June and notably announced that Ottawa would participate in multinational efforts to train Ukrainian fighter pilots.