TORONTO – Weapons and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, sanctions on “friends” of Russia: this is what Justin Trudeau announced today during his meeting with the Prime Minister of Ukraine, Denys Shmyhal, held in Toronto. 

Trudeau, accompanied by ministers Chrystia Freeland (Finance and Trudeau’s deputy), Anita Anand (Defense) and Mélanie Joly (Foreign Affairs), thus announced a series of military and economic measures to support Ukraine in the war with Russia.

As for weapons supplies, Canada will send Ukraine 21,000 assault rifles, 38 machine guns and 2.4 million rounds of ammunition. As for sanctions, they are being imposed on “14 Russian individuals and 34 entities”, including security targets linked to the Wagner Group, and Trudeau also noted that Canada is imposing sanctions on “9 entities linked to the Belarusian financial sector”.

In anticipation there are an update of the current free trade agreement between Canada and Ukraine and the signing of a new “pact” that will make it easier for young Ukrainians and Canadians to travel and work in both countries.

“We will continue to support Ukraine with whatever is necessary for as long as necessary” said the prime minister of Canada who has so far pledged more than C$8 billion to Ukraine in financial, military, humanitarian and other assistance since January 2022, shortly before the Russian invasion at the end of February 2022.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Shmyhal took the opportunity to thank Canada for its support since the invasion of Russian forces and during his visit to Toronto he also had the opportunity to meet a delegation from the Ukrainian community in Canada, accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Freeland.

Meanwhile, just in the night between Monday and today, Trudeau’s website was taken offline for a few hours by (alleged) pro-Russian hackers. “It is not uncommon for Russian hackers to target countries while showing their unwavering support for Ukraine… so the timing is not surprising” Trudeau commented today, reiterating: “Our support for Ukraine is unwavering”.

In the pics above, the conversation between Justin Trudeau and Denys Shmyhal and the latter’s meeting with a delegation from the Ukrainian community in Canada, together with Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland (from Twitter – @Denys_Shmyhal)