Carney travels to Kyiv to show support for Ukraine on its Independence Day
Prime Minister Mark Carney Visits Kyiv to Announce Military Assistance for Ukraine
Prime Minister Mark Carney arrived in Kyiv on Sunday where he is expected to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and announce further details of new military assistance Canada promised in June.
The trip marks the prime minister’s first visit to the country and comes during a European trip that includes stops in Poland, Germany and Latvia.
Support for Ukraine’s Independence Day
Carney was invited as a special guest of Zelenskyy to mark Ukraine’s Independence Day.
“On this Ukrainian Independence Day, and at this critical moment in their nation’s history, Canada is stepping up our support and our efforts towards a just and lasting peace for Ukraine,” Carney said in a post on social media shortly after arriving at the Kyiv main train terminal.
Carney and Defence Minister David McGuinty were greeted by Canada’s ambassador to Ukraine Natalka Cmoc and Ukrainian government officials including ambassador-designate for Ukraine to Canada Andrii Plakhotniuk.
Announcement of Aid Package
Carney is expected to announce more details of the $2-billion aid package Canada pledged at the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alta., earlier this year.
The trip comes as efforts to broker a peace between Ukraine and Russia intensify.
International Efforts for Peace
Canada has been part of talks for more than two years on how to help secure any sort of peace deal in Ukraine.
Those talks morphed last fall into the Coalition of the Willing, a group of nations who have offered to help fund or staff a peacekeeping force on Ukrainian territory. It includes most European nations and others such as Canada, Japan and Australia.
Canadian Support and Involvement
Canada has an outsized role in humanitarian initiatives, such as work to resettle Ukrainian children abducted by Russia, maintain maternal health services and the detection and removal of landmines.
Canada has opened its doors to refugees fleeing the war and already has a major Ukrainian diaspora in the country.
Overall, Carney’s visit on Independence Day reflects Canada being seen as an important supporter outside Europe.
This story was first published by The Canadian Press on Aug. 24, 2025.
Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press
