Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly has just concluded a two-day visit to Ukraine, where she held meetings with top officials to discuss Canada’s response to Russia’s invasion. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy even posted a video of his meeting with Joly. During the visit, Joly met with her Ukrainian counterpart, the country’s prime minister, top prosecutor, and internal affairs minister to discuss Canada’s military support and attempts to bring Russia to international tribunals for war crimes. Additionally, she spoke with Ukraine’s first lady Olena Zelenska about support for women experiencing sexual violence and announced $3 million for local groups working to stabilize the country. Joly also visited projects funded by Canada, such as a demining program run through the HALO Trust, and pledged “continued Canadian contributions” for removing mines. Her office stated that Canada will continue to help Ukrainians defend their freedom for as long as it takes to reach peace.
In addition to her visit, Joly also announced how $18.2 million earmarked last June for Ukraine will be allocated to local groups. She also took a trip to the suburb of Brovary, where senior officials were killed in a helicopter crash that has not been attributed to Russia. This is Joly’s second visit to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion nearly one year ago; she had also visited Ukraine as foreign affairs minister in January 2022. Members of the House foreign-affairs committee are also set to depart shortly for a tour of countries that neighbour Ukraine to compare responses to the invasion.