Volodymyr Zelensky and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney signed on Thursday a century-long partnership declaration between their two countries, accompanied by a CAD 350 million air defense agreement.
The ceremony took place in Calgary, where the Ukrainian president arrived Wednesday evening for a series of meetings described as “important” by his entourage. On the agenda: defense, energy, and economic cooperation, according to Mark Carney’s prior statement.
On the military front, the two leaders announced the finalization of an agreement concerning the delivery of air defense interceptors through the American so-called “Jumpstart” mechanism. The package amounts to approximately CAD 350 million, or about 218 million euros. “This is a very important air defense package, and it is crucial,” Zelensky said, expressing his gratitude towards Ottawa.
Carney recalled that Canada has provided since 2022 the equivalent of CAD 26 billion, or nearly 16 billion euros, in support to Ukraine, notably covering energy systems. “We will provide further support,” he promised.
The Prime Minister also mentioned the historical ties that unite the two countries. “Ukrainians helped build this province, this country. Canada will help rebuild Ukraine when peace comes,” he said, referring to Alberta, whose largest city is Calgary. More than one million Canadians are of Ukrainian origin.
This visit comes the day after the funeral of King Harald V of Norway, which Zelensky attended. His plane had then been delayed by a drone incursion. The Ukrainian president is increasing his travels to secure the support of his allies before winter, a period during which Russia traditionally intensifies its strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
On the front, Zelensky indicated that Ukraine struck overnight an oil refinery in the Russian Yamalo-Nenets region as well as a port in Dagestan. On the Russian side, the governor of the Voronezh region reported the death of a woman in Borisoglebsk, killed by drone debris, and the destruction of at least 19 drones. The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed to have shot down a total of 448 Ukrainian drones during the night.
In Ukraine, Russian strikes hit buildings belonging to a major food producer in Dnipro, causing at least two deaths according to local authorities. In the Odessa region, a drone attack on a cargo ship cost the lives of two Azerbaijani crew members. Two other sailors were hospitalized in Chornomorsk. Kyiv attributed this strike to Russia; Baku did not designate a responsible party.
Zelensky also expressed his wish to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump before the end of September on these same defense issues.
