Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on Saturday that Canada will be providing Ukraine with an additional $2.5 billion in economic aid.The announcement came when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a stop in Halifax to meet with the prime minister before heading on to Washington, D.C., for talks with US President Donald Trump aimed at ending the ongoing conflict with Russia.“Under President Zelenskyy’s leadership, we have the conditions, and the possibility of a just and lasting peace,” Carney told reporters at the meeting.The new $2.5 billion commitment now brings Canada’s total Ukraine support since the start of Russia’s invasion in 2022 to nearly $22 billion, including over $12 billion in direct financial assistance, which makes Canada one of Ukraine’s biggest international backers.“When I stood with President Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Ukraine’s Independence Day this year, I made clear that Canada will stand with Ukraine throughout this horrific war and when peace finally comes,” Carney said.“To those ends, Canada has committed new support to Ukraine, not only to help end this war but also to help the Ukrainian people recover and rebuild. Canada stands with Ukraine, because their cause — freedom, democracy, sovereignty — is our cause.”.Carney affirms financial and ideological commitment to ending Russia-Ukraine war.The package is set to include financing to enable the International Monetary Fund to lend Ukraine an additional $8.4 billion through an extended program, as well as a $1.3 billion loan guarantee in 2026 to the World Bank’s International Bank for Reconstruction and Development to support Ukraine’s reconstruction, and a $322 million loan guarantee in 2026 to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to secure Ukraine’s gas imports and energy security.“In the coming days, much can be accomplished both bilaterally between Ukraine and the United States, as well as with our Coalition of the Willing partners,” Zelenskyy told reporters, referring to the 35-nation group of countries — which includes Canada — supporting Ukraine.“It is critical that we jointly and constructively bolster Ukraine’s ability to protect life, reinforce our front-line positions, and enhance the effectiveness of the negotiation process. Right now, it is Russia that is dragging its feet and trying to waste time.”Carney and Zelenskyy also joined a call with European leaders to coordinate Ukraine’s security and recovery efforts.The prime minister reiterated Canada’s commitment to helping Ukraine defend its sovereignty, rebuild its economy, and deter future Russian aggression.“Through the Coalition of the Willing and other partnerships, Canada is working to secure a just and lasting peace that reunites children with their families, fortifies Ukraine’s forces, builds prosperity for the Ukrainian people, and deters Russia from ever again threatening the peace and security of Ukraine or Europe,” an official statement from the prime minister’s office read.
