Since the beginning of the invasion, Canada has stood by Ukraine, offering financial, military and humanitarian aid, while watching the House of Commons unanimously declare what is happening in Ukraine a “genocide.”
The federal government has also moved with other nations in leveling sanctions against an ever-growing list of individuals and entities, vowing that further retaliation will come despite Russia’s pushback.
With no end in sight, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday that while he hopes the war can end “quickly,” Canada “will be there to support Ukraine and the Ukrainian people with whatever they need for as long as it takes.”
“Ukraine is definitely fighting for itself … But it’s also fighting for the rest of us … and that’s why we’re adamant: Putin must not win,” Trudeau said.
While the effects of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “illegal, unthinkable invasion” are, of course, felt most acutely in Ukraine, the war has had global political, political and diplomatic ramifications, just as it has here in Canada.
Marking the six-month mark since the start of the war, CTVNews.ca looks at six key moments for Canada.

ZELENSKYY OFFER TO THE PARLIAMENT

In March, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy brought the reality of war to the floor of the House of Commons.
In his direct and emotional mock speech to Parliament — wearing an army green sweater with the Ukrainian flag on one side of his frame — Zelensky pleaded with Canada to further help his country in its fight against ongoing Russian aggression.
“We’re friends with you, Justin.  But I also want you to understand and I want you to feel this.  What we feel every day.  We want to live and we want to be victorious,” Zelensky said, as the full House stood at attention.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy places his hand on his chest as he listens to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau deliver opening remarks before addressing the Canadian Parliament, Tuesday, March 15, 2022, in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld During his 20-minute speech, Zelensky called on Canada to continue military and humanitarian response efforts and continue to impose sanctions on powerful and powerful Russians until they don’t have “a single dollar to finance their war efforts.” The Ukrainian president also tried to put Canadians in Ukrainian shoes, detailing the reality of Russia’s war. Asked if Canadians could imagine waking up to their city being bombed or asking their children what’s going on, having to take shelter in bomb shelters with limited food, water or connectivity, Zelenskyy painted a grim picture of what it was like then 20 days. of the war in Ukraine.

BOOSTING CANADA’S DEFENSE BUDGET

After Zelenskiy’s impassioned speech, the Trudeau government felt concerted pressure to boost defense spending in the April 2022 federal budget.
While a significant increase in Canadian defense spending may not have been previously planned, the war in Ukraine has seen concerted calls for Canada to meet its NATO commitment to spend two per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) on defence.
The 2022 budget did not allocate enough to fulfill that commitment, although Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland unveiled an $8 billion spending package that focused both on further aid to Ukraine while bolstering North American defense systems .
In addition to looking at domestic defense preparedness, the government has committed “up to” $1 billion in new loans to the Ukrainian government through a new “Managed Account for Ukraine at the International Monetary Fund (IMF)” and pledged to provide an additional $500 million in military aid to Ukraine.

TRUDEAU TRAVELS TO UKRAINE

In May, Trudeau made a surprise weekend trip to Ukraine.
The visit, intended to show Canada’s support for the country, also included the prime minister reiterating the federal government’s commitment to military aid to Ukraine and was accompanied by another round of sanctions against Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, center, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attend an award ceremony for a Ukrainian swordsman and his legendary patron dog in Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, May 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) Trudeau was accompanied on the trip by Foreign Affairs Minister and Freeland Melanie Joly. They toured the devastation in the Kiev suburb of Irpin, which was badly bombed by the Russians. “It is clear that Vladimir Putin is responsible for heinous war crimes. There must be accountability. Canada will stand with Ukraine as you seek justice for your people that Russia is killing and brutalizing,” Trudeau told reporters on the scene. The visit followed trips to Ukraine by other world leaders and was seen as a key message of solidarity and strength.

POLITICAL EMBASSY IN CANADA AND UKRAINE

During his trip to Ukraine, Trudeau also announced the reopening of the Canadian embassy in Kyiv.  To mark the reopening, he participated in a Canadian flag-raising ceremony at the embassy along with Freeland, Joly and Canadian Ambassador to Ukraine Larisa Galadza.
The embassy had been closed and diplomatic staff largely relocated in early February, weeks before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.  By the time Canada announced the reopening, the government was already facing mounting pressure to restore a diplomatic presence, as many allies had done.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, Canadian Ambassador to Ukraine Larisa Galadza and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau raise the flag over the Canadian Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine on Sunday, May 8, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/CBC News /Pool/ Murray Brewster However, the move was almost entirely symbolic. Embassy services have not yet been fully restored, and according to the Canadian Press, as of late July the ambassador was still not working outside the embassy for security reasons. Back home, amid calls from some for the federal government to expel Russian diplomats from Ottawa, the city decided to place blue and yellow “Free Ukraine” signs in front of the Russian Embassy.

UKRAINIANS SETTLED, TRAINING TROOPS

The war in Ukraine also prompted thousands of Ukrainians to come to Canada, prompting communities across the country to come together to collect supplies and help their new neighbors build homes here.
Since the federal government first announced in March that it would open new avenues for Ukrainians to seek refuge in this country, about 74,500 Ukrainians have arrived in Canada.

Ukrainian nationals fleeing the ongoing war in Ukraine arrive at Trudeau Airport in Montreal, Sunday, May 29, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes But fewer than half of the roughly 495,900 applications received under Canada’s Emergency Travel Authorization to travel and stay temporarily in Canada have been approved, according to the latest federal data. And while Canada has no plans yet to send troops into combat in Ukraine, Canadian soldiers are being asked to help train Ukrainians. Earlier this month Defense Minister Anita Anand announced that up to 225 Canadian Armed Forces personnel would be deployed to take part in a training mission for Ukrainian soldiers in the UK as part of Operation Unifier.

NORD STREAM TURBINE

After months of unwavering unity between Canada and Ukraine, the federal government’s decision in July to grant a two-year exemption from federal sanctions that allowed a Canadian company to return repaired turbines from a Russian-German gas pipeline brought the first real rift between of the two countries since the start of the war.
That was Putin’s goal, the federal government argued, saying the Russian president’s efforts to weaponize energy as a way to drive a wedge between allied countries was really behind Russian state energy company Gazprom turning off the taps to the flow of natural gas. of gas through the North.  Steam 1 to Germany.
The decision sparked swift and angry reactions from Canada’s federal opposition parties, as well as Ukrainians, including Zelensky, who called it “blatant weakness.”  However, the move was supported by the US and other NATO allies, and Canada continues to stand behind it.

Ukrainian supporters rally against the Canadian government’s decision to send repaired sections of a Russian gas pipeline back to Germany on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Sunday, July 17, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang Important details were shared by key government and diplomatic figures about what led Canada to make this decision during a special summer committee study earlier this month. “This waiver is not a one-time decision. Maintaining all six turbines in Canada will strengthen Russia’s ability for years to harness energy and derail efforts to address climate change, and will be done with Canada’s blessing.” , Ambassador Ukraine to Canada Yuliia Kovaliv said during her testimony on August 4. “We urge you: don’t take the bait. You didn’t have to waive sanctions to call the Putin regime’s bluff… You can just Google the story. This appeasement logic has already failed to prevent war in Ukraine.” While the turbine has been returned, it remains out of service, prompting Ukrainians to rekindle calls for Canada to immediately revoke the permit.