World
Carney Pledges Air Defense and Energy Aid to Ukraine During Zelenskyy's Canada Visit
Canada announced new military and energy assistance for Ukraine on Thursday as Prime Minister Mark Carney hosted President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Calgary, Alberta, a province with deep Ukrainian-Canadian roots. During the visit, the two leaders signed an agreement aimed at establishing a “hundred-year partnership,” with details to be negotiated in the coming months covering defense, critical minerals and energy cooperation.
Carney, who grew up in a region with a large Ukrainian-Canadian community, told Zelenskyy that “Canada will always be with you.” He noted that ties between the two nations date back to 1893, when a significant wave of Ukrainian immigrants arrived in Canada. Alberta alone is home to an estimated 350,000 Canadians of Ukrainian descent. “Ukrainians helped build Canada, and Canadians will help rebuild Ukraine,” Carney said.
Among the new commitments, Canada will contribute C$350 million (US$253 million) through the United States’ Jumpstart program—short for the Joint Ukraine Multinational Program, Services, Training and Articles Rapid Timeline—to strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses. Zelenskyy has repeatedly stressed the urgency of bolstering air defense capabilities as Russia intensifies its ballistic missile strikes.
Carney also pledged C$450 million in loan guarantees to support Ukraine’s energy sector, funding that will go toward repairing damaged infrastructure, expanding storage capacity and ensuring hospitals retain power. He said the assistance is intended “to help Ukrainians get through the winter,” a season marked by rolling blackouts and harsh cold.
In addition, Canada revealed plans to redirect 30% of its growing domestic drone production to Ukraine. Zelenskyy said the drones would be sent directly to the front lines “to save our children, our families first of all.”
When asked about the prospects for peace negotiations, Zelenskyy said he did not expect meaningful talks while Russia’s election period is underway. However, he confirmed plans to meet with President Donald Trump in New York City in late September, likely around the time of the United Nations General Assembly, as the United States seeks to restart long-stalled efforts to end the war. “At the end of September, we will have an opportunity to meet, I think, with the American team in New York,” Zelenskyy said, adding that he expects to be able to speak more openly about the situation following that meeting.
Following his stop in Calgary, Zelenskyy was scheduled to travel to Banff National Park to address a retreat for Carney’s Liberal cabinet, before continuing on to Toronto and North Bay in northern Ontario.