Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly will visit Kyiv next week to reaffirm support for Ukrainian sovereignty and reinforce efforts to deter “aggressive actions” by Russia, Ottawa said on Saturday.
With more than 100,000 Russian troops stationed along the border with Ukraine, the United States said on Friday it feared Russia was preparing a pretext to invade if diplomacy failed to meet its objectives, according to Reuters.
That warning came after Ukraine blamed Russia for a cyberattack on its government websites.
Canada has a sizeable and politically influential population of Ukrainian ethnic descent and has taken a hard-line approach with Moscow since the annexation of Crimea in 2014.
Joly plans to depart Sunday for Kyiv on a weeklong trip that will include stops in Paris and Brussels. CP24 is reporting that her office says the trip is aimed at underscoring Canada’s unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of continuing Russian aggression.
“The amassing of Russian troops and equipment in and around Ukraine jeopardizes security in the entire region. These aggressive actions must be deterred,” Joly said in a statement.
“Canada will work with its international partners to uphold the rules-based international order.”
Joly plans to meet in Kyiv with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and Deputy Prime Minister Olga Stefanishyna. She’s also expected to visit Canadian troops stationed in Ukraine to support the local military, according to CBC Canada News.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Tuesday and “emphasized that any military incursion into Ukraine would have serious consequences, including coordinated sanctions,” Trudeau’s office said.
Canada has imposed punitive measures on more than 440 individuals and entities over the annexation of Crimea.
