Canada and Ukraine are deepening ties with the signing of what they are touting as a 100-year partnership to further co-operation in several areas, including defence, energy, technology and trade.
Amid heavy security in southeast Calgary on Thursday, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a series of industry alliances and non-binding agreements with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is visiting Canada for three days to strengthen ties.
“This relationship has flourished for over a hundred years and it will flourish in the century ahead, long after this war ends,” Mr. Carney said. “Ukrainians helped build Canada, and Canadians will help rebuild Ukraine.”
Canada’s domestic defence industry stands to benefit from several of the partnerships. This includes a long-term government-to-government collaboration to jointly produce uncrewed systems, counterdrone technologies and munitions, which will combine Ukrainian expertise with Canadian manufacturing and technology.
Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky met with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney ahead of a Liberal cabinet meeting in Alberta. Carney says the meeting will focus on the countries’ shared priorities, including deepening defence, economic and energy co-operation.
The Canadian Press
Mr. Carney also committed to sending Ukraine one-third of all drones manufactured in Canada. Some of those could be produced through Ottawa’s new marketplace for uncrewed systems, which is meant to expedite the production and delivery of the low-cost technologies to the Canadian Armed Forces.
Finally, a Ukrainian-Canadian joint venture, also announced Thursday, will bring together General Dynamics Mission Systems-Canada, an Ottawa-based subsidiary of the U.S. defence giant, and Ukrainian company Green Tech Harvest to produce uncrewed systems for use in the war. A similar joint venture was established in May between Canadian drone company Sentinel R&D and Ukrainian drone company Airlogix.
“Together, we will build the capabilities our militaries need, create good jobs at home, support Ukraine on the battlefield and strengthen the sovereignty of both our nations,” Mr. Carney said.
Canada is also doubling down on its military and energy aid for Ukraine. Ottawa has committed almost $9-billion in military aid and $70-million to the Ukraine Energy Support Fund since Russia began its full-scale invasion in 2022.
Mr. Carney said the government intends to bump its support even further, with a $350-million equipment package of critical air-defence interceptors. It will come through the United States’ Joint Ukraine Multinational Program, which was set up to allow the rapid delivery of services, training and articles using financial donations from other countries.
Ottawa will also provide more than $430-million in loan guarantees for Ukrainians to buy gas throughout the winter, Mr. Carney said. Moscow has pummelled much of the country’s critical infrastructure, leading to energy shortages and constant rolling blackouts.
Mr. Zelensky thanked Canada for its continuing support, saying, “We need strong friends.”
The two leaders also pointed to Canada’s intention over the coming months to join and support Ukraine’s low-cost ballistic missile shield, Freya, to contribute to European air defence.
“The biggest threat and the biggest challenge for us is ballistic attacks, and the most important thing is air defence,” Mr. Zelensky said.
Thursday’s agreements were inked ahead of Mr. Zelensky’s planned meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in New York later this month to discuss the war. The prospect of Ukraine’s entry into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization remains on indefinite hold, being proffered as a bargaining chip by U.S. officials in peace talks with Russia.
If Moscow undermines those negotiations, Ottawa is prepared to increase pressure on it and is developing a new package of sanctions focused on anti-ballistic missile capabilities, Mr. Carney said.
He said Canada is also updating its existing sanctions on Russia’s financial services and its shadow fleet of oil tankers transporting goods and commodities around the world.
Peace, however, remains the ultimate goal.
“We need to end this war,” Mr. Zelensky said. “We don’t have any kind of alternative.”
The announcement in Calgary was part of a three-day trip to Canada by Mr. Zelensky and his wife, Olena Zelenska. They arrived in the city Wednesday night, and later Thursday they headed to Banff where Mr. Zelensky addressed a federal cabinet meeting. He and his wife are also scheduled to visit Toronto and North Bay before leaving Canada on Friday.
Prime Minister Mark Carney and his cabinet are swapping Parliament for the picturesque Rocky Mountains this week, but the agenda for the cabinet retreat in Banff is packed. As Marieke Walsh reports, the intensifying trade war with the United States and Alberta’s upcoming separation referendum are both top of mind.
The Globe and Mail