Leaders from Canada and Italy signed safety agreements with Ukraine on Saturday (24 February) after talks with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as Kyiv marked the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
The UK, France, Germany and Denmark already signed related offers as a part of a wider Western effort to assist the nation fight Russia’s aggression.
The long-term safety offers with Kyiv are meant to shore up Ukraine’s army capacities till it could possibly attain its intention of turning into a member of the Western army alliance, NATO.
“We proceed to help Ukraine in what I’ve all the time believed is its individuals’s excellent to defend themselves,” Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni advised reporters in Kyiv.
“This additionally essentially means army help, as a result of to confuse the a lot bandied-about phrase ‘peace’ with ‘give up’, as some do, is a hypocritical strategy that we are going to by no means share,” she mentioned.
Meloni confirmed the bilateral safety assure signed between Italy and Ukraine “will final 10 years and is probably the most full and necessary one signed with a non-NATO nation”.
Meloni gave no monetary particulars concerning the Italian deal.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau mentioned that Ottawa’s help for Kyiv remained “unwavering” two years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion.
“Right now, standing shoulder to shoulder with our allies and companions, Canada dedicated to additional help, together with army and humanitarian help, for Ukraine,” he mentioned.
Trudeau’s workplace mentioned Canada would supply greater than 3 billion Canadian {dollars} in macro-financial and defence assist to Ukraine in 2024.
[Edited by Nathalie Weatherald]
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