Kyiv, Ukraine, February 26 (ANI): On the third anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau traveled to Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. During their meeting, the two leaders addressed key issues, including defense cooperation, sanctions against Russia, and ongoing financial support for Ukraine amidst the ongoing conflict.
The Canadian Prime Minister's visit to Ukraine on February 24 was intended to reaffirm Canada's pledge to support Ukraine, in both military and financial terms, as stated by the Ukrainian President's office.
"We are deeply grateful to the Canadian people for their support, as well as for the military and humanitarian assistance. You have truly done a lot," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, according to the president's office, thanking Justin for his leadership.
The President of Ukraine expressed his appreciation for Canada's leadership on X, stating, "I am grateful to Canada for its leadership in supporting Ukrainians over the past three challenging years and to Justin for organizing a successful G7 leaders' meeting. Canada continues to support Ukraine by providing military aid and enhancing our energy security."
According to the President's office, the "main focus of the meeting was reliable security guarantees for Ukraine, including NATO membership." With Zelenskyy emphasizing the importance of the principle "Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine, nothing about Europe without Europe."
The leaders also discussed Canada's efforts within the Group of Seven (G7) to strengthen international backing for Ukraine
The parties discussed the consolidation of international efforts to support Ukraine under the Canadian presidency of the Group of Seven, it is stated.
The meeting also covered the topic of "defense cooperation," and the Ukrainian President thanked Canada for its "substantial contributions to Ukraine's security and financial assistance."
The leaders also addressed the continuation of sanctions against Russia, particularly focusing on strengthening restrictions on Russia's shadow fleet and oil industry.
The office of Canada's Prime Minister issued a statement commemorating the third anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
"On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a completely unjustified, large-scale invasion of Ukraine, unleashing a campaign of unimaginable brutality that has resulted in hundreds of thousands of fatalities. The invasion marked a significant escalation of a war of aggression, a clear breach of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and an attack against freedom, democracy, and international law, including the United Nations Charter," said the Canadian Prime Minister in his statement.
"When Putin sent his tanks into Ukraine, he anticipated a swift Ukrainian surrender and the fall of Kyiv. However, he was mistaken. Three years on, Ukraine remains unwavering. Its citizens are courageously defending their homeland against unrelenting Russian assaults. The Russian aggression has been countered with a strong resistance, and come winter after winter, the Ukrainian flag continues to wave above Kyiv," the statement added.