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Canadian PM visits Kyiv, pledges more military aid

11.06.2023 00:30
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pledged new military aid to Ukraine during an unannounced visit to its capital Kyiv on Saturday, according to news reports.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meet in Kyiv on Saturday, June 10, 2023.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meet in Kyiv on Saturday, June 10, 2023.Photo: PAP/Vladyslav Musiienko

"Today, I can announce that we will provide 500 million dollars in new funding for military assistance," Trudeau said at a joint news conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

He told Zelensky: "We will be there with (you) as much as it takes, for as long as it takes."

Zelensky said after talks with Trudeau that Ukraine was grateful to Canada for its support: "Thank you so much. The people of Canada, and of course, to all your team, to the government and parliament. Really. It's (such) necessary help."

'Canada supports Ukraine to become a NATO member'

A joint declaration released after the talks said that "Canada supports Ukraine to become a NATO member as soon as conditions allow for it," the Reuters news agency reported.

"Ukraine and Canada look forward to addressing these issues at the NATO Summit in Vilnius in July 2023," the declaration added, according to Reuters.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told Canadian broadcaster CBC earlier this month that Ukraine deserves a "quick path" to NATO membership because it is fighting Russia's invasion "in the interests of" the Western military alliance and defending NATO countries against potential aggression by Moscow.

During a meeting in Toronto on June 2, Poland's Morawiecki and Canada's Trudeau reaffirmed their support for Ukraine against Russia.

Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year, launching the largest military campaign in Europe since World War II.

Sunday is day 473 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

(gs)

Source: IAR, PAP, Reuters, ukrinform.net