Zelensky in Canada: Efforts to Strengthen Support for Kyiv Ahead of Winter
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Canada on Thursday, where he is scheduled to hold talks with Prime Minister Mark Carney to strengthen support for Kyiv ahead of the winter.
In a statement, the Canadian prime minister said the visit would “focus on the shared priorities of Canada and Ukraine, particularly deepening cooperation in the areas of defense, the economy, and energy,” stressing that his country remains “firmly committed to supporting Ukraine’s defense, recovery, and reconstruction.”
Zelensky arrived in Canada from Oslo, where he attended the funeral of King Harald on Wednesday. The king died on August 28 at the age of 89. On Tuesday, Zelensky had discussed support for his country’s air defenses with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.
Ukraine is stepping up its efforts to secure urgent military assistance ahead of winter, particularly Patriot missiles.
Visit Agenda
In Canada, Zelensky and his wife, Olena Zelenska, are scheduled to attend events in Calgary, Toronto, and North Bay, Ontario, as well as hold a meeting with government officials in Banff, Alberta. The visit is scheduled to conclude on Friday.
Jonas Gahr Støre caused a stir on Wednesday evening by saying that Zelensky’s plane had narrowly escaped being hit by a drone while departing the Moldovan capital, Chișinău, on Tuesday.
The Moldovan government confirmed that it had been forced to temporarily close its airspace on Tuesday afternoon because of a “violation of its airspace by a Russian drone coming from Ukraine.”
The drone was destroyed “approximately 160 kilometers from Chișinău International Airport,” allowing the Ukrainian president’s plane to take off after a delay, according to Moldovan government spokesman Dumitru Socolan.
In this context, a source within the Ukrainian presidency told Agence France-Presse that the claim that Zelensky had faced any real danger was “exaggerated.”
U.S. Moves
A day after the Kremlin announced that the American and Russian presidents had discussed the ongoing conflict in Ukraine during a one-hour phone call, Donald Trump said that Vladimir Putin wanted to strike a deal to end the war against Ukraine.
He added: “Putin wants to make a deal, and if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wants to make a deal, that would be very good,” continuing: “I know deals, and these two men are tired of fighting.”
Putin received envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on Saturday, before they traveled to Kyiv for an unprecedented visit during which they met with Zelensky.
Trump spoke by phone with Putin on Tuesday, shortly after U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, returned from a diplomatic tour that included Moscow and Kyiv. The two men, who are handling most of the United States’ main peace negotiations, discussed possible proposals for ending the war.
Last month, CIA Director John Ratcliffe met with Russian intelligence officials in Moscow, among other reasons, to encourage Russian officials to end the military operation.
Despite these efforts and Trump’s statements, U.S. and Ukrainian intelligence officials, as well as officials in various parts of Europe, continue to question the seriousness of Putin’s interest in ending the war, which has been ongoing for more than four years.
