Zelensky arrives in Canada for visit

President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife, First Lady Olena Zelenska, touched down in Canada on September 9th for a three-day visit aimed at bolstering defense, economic, and energy collaborations between Kyiv and Ottawa. The visit, which will run until September 11th, will see Zelensky traveling through Calgary, Toronto, and North Bay.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s office anticipates that Zelensky will engage with members of the Canadian government during his stay. The discussions will primarily revolve around enhancing cooperation in defense, the economy, and energy sectors, as well as acknowledging the human cost of Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine, according to Carney’s office.

Before embarking on this trip, Zelensky had expressed his intention to discuss ballistic missile defense with Canadian officials, emphasizing this as a critical vulnerability for Ukraine amid Russia’s persistent long-range missile and drone assaults. Kyiv is also striving to cultivate its own ballistic missile defense capabilities, as confirmed by President Zelensky.

This Canadian sojourn follows Zelensky’s recent visit to Norway, where he participated in the funeral of King Harald V and met with Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre to deliberate on air defense strategies and preparations for the upcoming winter. Støre recounted an incident where Zelensky’s aircraft narrowly escaped a drone attack while taking off from Moldova en route to Norway.

On September 9th, Zelensky also met with Icelandic Foreign Minister Ögmundur Jónasson, with the conversation centering around strengthening Ukraine’s air defense measures and preparations for the winter season.