CALGARY— On Thursday morning Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Alberta ahead of the Ukrainian leaders' attendance at the upcoming federal cabinet retreat in Banff.Carney opened his remarks in French, where he welcomed Zelenskyy to "the province, not of my birth but of my upbringing.""Welcome back, Mr. President, to Alberta. You were here, of course, for the G7 meeting a little more than 14 months ago; it's an honour to have you back in Canada," the prime minister said at a Fairmont Palliser Hotel in Calgary Thursday morning.He noted that Canada has "provided support for Ukraine, $26 billion in support, and military support from air defence to drones and beyond.""We will provide support... for Ukraine's path to joining NATO, Ukraine's path to joining the European Union, and most fundamentally, to the fundamental values of the territorial integrity of Ukraine.""Ukraine's future is only for Ukrainians to decide.".Carney also noted the deep historical ties the two countries share, as well as the impact that Ukrainian immigration has had in the Canadian West, specifically in Alberta."This is a province where the horizon looks like the Ukrainian flag; it's a province where 350,000 people of Ukrainian descent are growing up, where my classmates' parents spoke Ukrainian," Carney said, noting the historical impact of Alberta's large Ukrainian community."Ukrainians helped build this province, this country, and Canada will help rebuild Ukraine."Zelenskyy opened his remarks by thanking "Dear Mark, dear prime minister," and thanked the Canadian government and the Canadian people for their steadfast support of his country in their ongoing war against Russia."We've built really great relations between our people, great relations, and strong relations between our governments.""We really count on your support; we're thankful for all the billions and all packages that Canada has did [sic] from the war beginning," he added.."We are thankful that we have such strong partners as Canadians."Talking about the potential of peace, Zelenskyy stated that while all Ukrainians want peace, they "need to be strong, not to be weak" in the ongoing struggle for their survival.The Ukrainian president also mentioned the potential of discussion about a "winter package" where Canada would help supply energy to Ukraine over winter as demand for fuel and power increases in the harsh Eastern European winters.He finished his remarks by saying, "I am very happy to be here among friends. Thank you for your support (to) support Ukraine, Ukrainians, our children, our sovereignty, and territorial integrity."Carney and Zelenskyy will travel to Banff, where the Ukrainian president will join the prime minister at the fall cabinet retreat, a retreat that the federal cabinet will use to discuss policy positions before parliament resumes at the end of the month.
