Sunday August 24, 205 | KYIV, Ukraine [Reporting from VICTORIA, BC – Posted at 8:05 am PT]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
Prime Minister Mark Carney is in Ukraine today to be part of 34th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence. His remarks along with Ukraiine’s Presient Volodymyr Zelenskyy was televised this morning on Canadian national TV.
Carney’s attendance for that occasion is part of showing Canada’s continued support for the ongoing resistance in war that Ukraine is putting up against Russia.
The international rules-based order was established after WWII but has seen increasing pressure from Russia, starting with Russia’s illegal takeover of Crimea in 2014 but most notably since Russia’s full-on war attack against Ukraine starting in February 2022.
The western democratic world has rallied in support for Ukraine since the 2022 illegal invasion of Ukraine.
“If Russia’s aggression goes unchallenged it will not stop here,” said Carney today, also today reminding the world that Carney is the G7 president this year.
“Peace without strength is fragile. We’re in pursuit of a lasting durable peace for Ukraine. And this will require credible, robust, security guarantees to defend Ukraine’s land, sea and air,” said Carney in his remarks at a podium outdoors in Kyiv on a sunny Sunday.
With a harkening back to the end of the cold war with then US President Reagan’s call to “trust but verify”, Carney has now updated that with “deter and fortify”.
“We need a cessation of hostilities. We can call it a ceasefire, a truce, an armistice. That’s necessary to stop the killing,” said CArney. But he added that the conditions around that include “Ukraine military force”, as well as “no exclusions of pathways to Ukraine to the European Union or NATO and there will be security guarantees in any durable ceasefire”.
“That’s the lesson of Minsk, that’s the lesson of 2014, that’s the lesson of history that we need not to trust and verify but to deter and fortify,” said Carney today.
Canada’s support of Ukraine:
Home to the largest diaspora of Ukrainians, Canada was the first Western country to recognize Ukraine as an independent and sovereign nation back in 1991.
In June at the G7 Summit held in Canada, this country committed an additional $2 billion in military assistance for Ukraine.
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Canada has committed nearly $22 billion in multi-faceted assistance for Ukraine – the highest per capita contribution among G7 countries.
Today Carney emphasized the drone component of this announcement:
Where the $2 billion goes:
At the G7 Summit in Kananaskis in June, Canada committed an additional $2 billion in military assistance for Ukraine. Today, Carney announced how the Government of Canada is allocating this funding:
- $835 million to procure a range of critical equipment for Ukraine, including armoured vehicles, medical equipment, spare parts, small arms, ammunition, and explosives, as well as additional drone capabilities and other urgently needed equipment and supplies for Ukraine.
- Approximately $680 million (USD $500 million) for the purchase of a NATO Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List package of military equipment sourced from the United States to strengthen Ukraine’s air defence capabilities and provide other urgently needed military assistance.
- $220 million to purchase drone, counter-drone, and electronic warfare capabilities, including investments in joint ventures between Ukrainian and Canadian industry, in line with the Letter of Intent on Canada-Ukraine Joint Production of Defence Material.
- $165 million to support Canada’s ongoing work in Ukraine Defense Contact Group Capability Coalitions, including efforts to source critical capabilities for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
- $100 million to source ammunition and explosives through the Czech Ammunition Initiative.
Economic forces:
Canada and Ukraine will work to mobilize private sector involvement in Ukraine’s reconstruction, as outlined in a Joint communiqué between Canada and Ukraine as released August 24, 2025.
The Canadian government states in today’s joint communique with Ukraine that “in coordination with allies and partners, will intensify pressure through sanctions—targeting Russia’s shadow fleet, lowering the crude oil price cap, tightening financial restrictions, and combating sanctions evasion”.
Humanitarian assistance:
Carney also announced an additional package of over $31 million for humanitarian assistance and investments in initiatives to counter digital attacks and evolving threats to Ukrainian democracy.
Meeting with Ukraine leadership:
While in Kyiv this weekend, Carney met with the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Svyrydenko, and Ukrainian Cabinet ministers.
Carney’s news release today says there were discussions about Canada’s work with President Zelenskyy and the leaders of other countries who are taking part in the Coalition of the Willing to support Ukraine and advance a shared commitment to peace and security.
The leaders agreed that no decisions about Ukraine should be made without Ukraine, and no decisions about Europe should be made without Europe.
Release of Ukrainian children:
As Co-Chair of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, Prime Minister Carney also affirmed that Canada will intensify its work with Ukraine, European partners, and the United States to secure the immediate and unconditional return of Ukrainian children.
More than 35,000 Ukrainian children have been abducted during the war and taken to over 100 locations in Russia and Russian-occupied territory, according to the Ukraine Conflict Observatory, an effort led by Yale’s Humanitarian Research Lab.
===== RELATED:
- Carney and Trump discuss trade, Ukraine & security (August 21, 2025)
- Canada stands by Ukraine in ongoing collaboration with European leaders (August 19, 2025)
- Canada continues military funding to Ukraine but Zelenskyy departs G7 early after bombing in Kyiv (June 17, 2025)
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