Ukraine hopes Canada pushes allies for long-range missiles in Russia

Following one of Russia’s deadliest attacks against Ukraine, Ambassador to Canada Yulia Kovaliv says Ukraine hopes Canada will push other nations into giving them long-range missiles that can reach deep into Russia.

“We count on Canada’s support to talk with the allies, to explain to them that the cost of this delay, the cost of being afraid of some of those red lines,” Kovaliv said in an interview with CTV Power Play’s Vassy Kapelos.

Her comments come after two Russian ballistic missiles killed more than 50 people and injured more than 200 others in the Ukrainian city of Poltava on Tuesday. A military academy and a nearby hospital were the targets hit.

Since the start of the war in February 2022, some allies have raised concerns about escalation and crossing “red lines” as Ukraine asks for more defence help.

“It can’t be normal in the middle of Europe, and this is because of these attacks precisely,” Kovaliv said. “That’s why we are calling on our partners to give us this ability to destroy the places where Russia launched its missile attacks.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly pleaded to allies Tuesday to approve Ukraine’s use of long-range missiles inside Russia.

“Granting Ukraine these approvals and providing us with this weaponry would be the biggest step toward a real, just end to this war,” Zelenskyy wrote in a post on X.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke to Zelenskyy following Tuesday’s attack. According to a readout from the Prime Minister’s Office, Trudeau reiterated Canada’s commitment to provide further assistance to Ukraine.

Ukraine has also been asking its Western allies for more surface-to-air missile systems to help defend against Russian attacks. In a separate post on X on Tuesday, Zelenskyy said he spoke to Trudeau about that need.

In January 2023, Canada announced its plan to purchase an air defence system for Ukraine, but it has yet to be sent over. Canada does not own or make these systems and is working with the U.S. to deliver one.

Simon Lafortune, press secretary to Defence Minister Bill Blair, said the minister has been “in frequent contact” with David Cohen, U.S. Ambassador to Canada, “to discuss expediting the delivery timeline as much as possible.”

“We have been assured by the Americans that it will be delivered in early 2025,” Lafortune said.

Blair will be in Germany later this week to participate in a meeting for the Ukraine Defence Contact Group. The minister is expected to announce additional military aid to Ukraine.

You can watch the full interview with Ukraine’s Ambassador to Canada Yulia Kovaliv at the top of this article