Military aid, rebuilding Ukraine and punishing Russia for war crimes: von der Leyen and Trudeau assure Kyiv of strong support

The unwavering support for Kyiv in its fight against Russian aggression is expressed in a joint statement published on the European Commission's website.

Justin Trudeau and Ursula von der Leyen reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

In particular, they condemned Russia's violations of the UN Charter and international humanitarian law, ranging from attacks on civilian infrastructure to the forced deportation of Ukrainian children and torture of prisoners of war. They agreed on the need to ensure accountability for war crimes. The President of the European Commission and the Prime Minister of Canada emphasized their support for international efforts to bring those responsible to justice, including the investigation by the International Criminal Court prosecutor and the commission of inquiry established by the UN Human Rights Council.

Regarding military support for Ukraine, the leaders agreed on the importance of training the Ukrainian Security Forces within the framework of the EU Military Assistance Mission and the Canadian Training Mission (UNIFIER), specifically mentioning the close cooperation between NATO and the EU in supporting Kyiv.

In addition, during the meeting, Prime Minister Trudeau announced that the engineering training component of the mission would be extended until October 2023, and noted that the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) would now provide advanced training for combat medics from Ukraine.

Another area of support for Ukraine mentioned by von der Leyen and Trudeau in their joint statement is the provision of energy equipment. In particular, the Canadian government will soon transfer seven transformers to Ukraine through the EU hub. The EU also continues to mobilize strategic stocks of generators and transformers for Ukraine.

The leaders also emphasized their intention to continue working with G7 partners and others to strengthen coordination on sanctions against Russia.

In addition, the statement mentioned participation in the reconstruction of Ukraine and assistance in demining the country's territory.

"Recognizing the importance of mine action to Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction, Canada joins the EU in providing an additional $3 million to support Ukraine's mine action initiative, complementing the more than $32 million Canada is already providing in support of mine action," the statement said.

In addition, Canada welcomed the EU's decision to grant Ukraine candidate country status in June 2022, which paves the way for EU accession and serves as a key driver for Ukraine's reform agenda.

• Ursula von der Leyen is visiting Canada and the United States this week to discuss transatlantic relations, trade, strategic sectoral partnerships, and cooperation in support of Ukraine. On the evening of March 8, she will travel to Washington, where she will meet with President Biden at the White House on March 10.