Mark – Mr. Prime Minister,
Dear journalists,
Everyone present,
First of all, I want to thank all of Canada for its unwavering support for Ukraine and its active role in global affairs.
Canada is a constructive participant in international relations, and it is very important that you are helping defend not only Ukraine in this war unleashed by Russia, but also helping defend life itself and people’s right to live. Russia’s criminal war is not only about who will control one piece of land or another. Russia does indeed seek to seize our land, but also to assert its supposed right to destroy the lives of other nations. All of us together – and together with Canada – must not allow Russia to do this.
Today, together with the Prime Minister, together with Mark, we discussed the situation in Ukraine – the situation on the front, which is currently quite strong for us, for Ukraine. We are destroying Russian forces – Russia is losing around 30,000 troops killed and severely wounded every month. We also discussed Russia’s escalation involving jet-powered “shaheds.” Russia destroys ordinary shopping malls every day, strikes ordinary passenger trains carrying people – ordinary people – with drones, tries to destroy our energy sector, and blocks our ports. This is a terrorist Russian war. And it is very important that our friends are helping us – helping us, first and foremost, to defend ourselves.
I am grateful for the defense package that Prime Minister Carney has already announced. Above all, it will strengthen our air defense – both our Patriots and our combat aircraft, which down Russian jet-powered “shaheds.” Thank you for this package. This is especially important right now. Our pilots are also being trained here in Canada – 21 Ukrainians are undergoing training, and this will be a significant reinforcement – together with other countries that are training our people at various stages to operate combat aircraft.
Today, we reached an agreement on the Drone Deal, and the Prime Minister and I signed the first document. This will give us additional opportunities to finance Ukraine’s defense, while giving Canada a new technological edge proven in modern warfare. Together, we will provide greater strength for the defense of our countries and for protecting Canada’s interests.
I am grateful to Canada for our energy arrangements – this is very important. Today, we have concrete arrangements in the energy sector that will strengthen us both ahead of this winter and over the longer term.
We also have agreements on sanctions – Canada is preparing several important sanctions packages against Russia. First, it is important to accelerate anti-ballistic sanctions – specifically sanctions that will make it harder for Russia to produce ballistic missiles. This is the right approach – both to look for missiles for Patriots and, at the same time, to increase pressure on every Russian enterprise and every Russian counterpart in other countries that helps Russia produce ballistic missiles. Canada is preparing such an anti-ballistic sanctions package for this fall – I want to thank you for that. And we very much hope that the package will be accelerated so that it can take effect as early as October. Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and our sanctions coordinators are also working with other countries on anti-ballistic sanctions, and there are useful additional steps that should be taken both in Europe and in other parts of the world to limit Russia’s terrorist capabilities. Anti-ballistic sanctions packages are needed.
I thank Canada for sanctions against all those individuals and entities that Russia uses to avoid returning our Ukrainian children who were abducted from our land – from our occupied cities and villages. Thousands of children are still in Russia, and they must be brought back. Russia must feel that it has to do this. Canada supports our efforts, and I thank you for supporting the initiatives of the First Lady of Ukraine in this area – to bring back and help reintegrate Ukrainian children abducted by Russia.
Canada is also ready to support our Ukrainian veterans. A Veterans Fund will be established, and I am grateful to Canada for its contribution to this fund – $40 million right away – which will support our programs for veterans.
Thank you, Mark, for making this such a substantive visit. I am personally grateful to you and to your team. Overall, today’s arrangements are substantial. They amount to more than $2 billion – including a government package of more than $1 billion for our defense, primarily to protect our skies: missiles for Patriots, munitions for F-16s, and coproduction between our countries – very important coproduction of drones. And there is also a business package – arrangements between our businesses, primarily in the energy sector and for our joint initiatives.
We are moving toward much longer-term cooperation. We have begun working with Canada on a 100-year agreement – a serious step forward, as the Prime Minister said about our partnership. Today, we have the first document on preparing this 100-year agreement. Ukraine and Canada will always be friends and will always make each other stronger. We are grateful to all the people of Canada and to our Ukrainian community in Canada. Thank you, Mark. Thank you very much.
Glory to Ukraine!
