After meeting Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on Tuesday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced further sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine and promised new military aid to Kyiv.
During a Tuesday meeting in Toronto with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pledged additional military aid to help Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.
According to the reports, Kyiv will get 21,000 assault rifles, 38 machine guns, and 2.4 million rounds of ammunition. In addition, the new sanctions by Canada will target several Russian businesses, individuals, and entities.
Shmyhal claimed that his people were committed to continuing the struggle against Russia despite the toll the conflict has taken on Ukraine and the need for more weapons.
Shmyhal said that Kyiv is preparing to launch its counteroffensive on Russian troops. As a result, its troops require more ammo, weapons, and military hardware and resources.
Sanctions on Russia
Several security targets connected to the Wagner Group and Russia’s aviation industry were among the 34 businesses and 14 Russians targeted by additional sanctions announced by Prime Minister Trudeau to keep pressure on the Russian government.
The Prime Minister also announced further sanctions against nine entities connected to the Belarusian financial industry, putting even more pressure on Putin’s accomplices.
According to Trudeau, “Ukraine is fighting for the values and the principles that support all of our democracies.” He said that Canada would keep doing everything required to ensure Ukraine wins.
Trudeau added that Canada would continue supporting Kyiv as it defends itself heroically against Moscow’s brutal, barbaric invasion.
Ukraine thanked Canada for providing aid
Shmyhal commended Canada for its assistance, including billions of dollars in economic and military support, since Russian forces invaded in February 2022.
It includes a $2.4 billion Canadian (US$1.78 billion) loan from the IMF that was included in the federal budget from last month and that Trudeau said had already been fully disbursed.
Kyiv received the loan to help fund vital services, including pension payments and repairing damaged electricity infrastructure. The entire Canadian aid provided to Ukraine has topped $8 billion (or $5.94 billion US).
Canada-Ukraine strengthening ties
During their visit, the leaders concentrated on efforts to restore Ukraine. They included visiting Canadian business leaders to discuss the potential for Canadian trade and investment there, mainly the crucial contribution private sector investment would make in Ukraine’s long-term restoration.
Prime Ministers Trudeau and Shmyhal signed a joint declaration on the conclusion of negotiations for improving and upgrading the Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement (CUFTA), strengthening trade ties and highlighting the need to complete the processes to implement it as soon as possible.
Young people from both Canada and Ukraine signed a bilateral Youth Mobility Agreement that will become effective once travel to Ukraine is secure. The Agreement further strengthens the close ties between the countries and their people. As a result, young people will have more possibilities to work and travel, including ones for Canadian youth to assist in reconstructing Ukraine if Russia withdraws its troops from the nation.
Canada’s Official Websites Hacked
Shmyhal’s visit coincided with the apparent hacking attacks on official Canadian websites on Tuesday morning, with a group claiming to support Russia assuming blame.
The Prime Minister’s Office and the Senate also had their websites impacted, although both were back online by the afternoon.
When questioned about the attacks, Trudeau remarked that Russian hackers frequently target nations that support Ukraine, especially when those nations are hosting a senior Ukrainian delegation.
Trudeau continued, “But in case anyone was wondering, Russia being able to shut down or affect an official website of the government of Canada for a few hours is in no way going to deter us from our unshakable support of Ukraine.”
