Canada aims to heed a new call from Ukraine to help it sell a peace plan with Russia to developing countries who have taken a neutral stance on Moscow鈥檚 invasion.
Ottawa says it is gearing up for a diplomatic push on multiple continents, to get the world to endorse Kyiv鈥檚 vision of an end to the war, through a plan that includes a full restoration of all Ukraine鈥檚 territory and a war-crimes tribunal.
鈥淐anada has the diplomatic muscle to achieve the task of gathering a broad coalition in support of the peace formula,鈥� Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Thursday.
He was speaking in a video presented at a closed-door breakfast meeting of foreign ambassadors, to which The Canadian Press was invited.
Kuleba is also asking Ottawa to increase its anti-landmine support and extend military funding beyond the next year.
鈥淲e鈥檙e talking, among other things, about putting down on paper a multi-year military support program,鈥� Kuleba said.
鈥淎nd given the scale of mine contamination, we kindly ask you provide more assistance in this field.鈥�
His comments came at a meeting Canada鈥檚 Foreign Affairs Minister M茅lanie Joly convened to mark Ukraine鈥檚 independence day, which featured Ukrainian ambassador to Canada Yuliya Kovaliv.
鈥淚t is essential that we strengthen and rebuild Ukraine to make sure that Russia will not try to invade again,鈥� Joly told foreign ambassadors gathered at Global Affairs Canada headquarters.
鈥淲e will be supporting the peace plan. We will bring also 鈥� through our diplomatic corps in all the capitals we鈥檙e present in 鈥� our way to bring many countries along,鈥� she said.
Joly argued Russia鈥檚 invasion is to blame for sending food costs spiralling across the globe. She noted that has only gotten worse with Moscow pulling out of a deal to allow grain shipments from Ukraine.
鈥淲hat we鈥檙e talking about is how can we prevent this becoming an international conflict, and so there鈥檚 a lot at stake here,鈥� she said, while demanding accountability for Russia.
The breakfast was attended by the top envoys for multiple European countries, as well as states that haven鈥檛 outright condemned Russia for the invasion, such as India, South Africa and Nigeria.
The majority of the world鈥檚 population lives in countries that have opted against outright condemning Russia for the invasion, for reasons ranging from trade ties with Russia, to a focus on issues outside Europe, to a desire to maintain good relations with Washington, Moscow and Beijing.
Still, G7 countries such as Canada say the conflict is integral to maintaining the United Nations charter, and the club of some of the world鈥檚 richest countries came together last month to offer Ukraine a set of long-term security guarantees. Joly said Ottawa would reveal more in the coming days, but she seemed open to Ukraine鈥檚 call for a long-term military commitment.
鈥淲e know that Russia can always leave, can rearm and reinvade. So we want to make sure that the commitment we鈥檝e shown is long-lasting,鈥� she said.
鈥淲e know that arming Ukraine is the best way to get to a peaceful solution. I must say as a progressive, I never thought that arming a country was the best way to peace.鈥�
Kovaliv told her fellow foreign ambassadors that countries stand to gain from assisting in the financing of Ukraine鈥檚 eventual rebuilding, particularly if it鈥檚 financed by Russian assets. She said that could stimulate jobs across the world and make up for foreign property damaged in Ukraine.
鈥淚t鈥檚 for the business of many of your countries who suffered,鈥� she said.
Later Thursday, Joly announced the appointment of a new Canadian ambassador to Ukraine.
Natalka Cmoc speaks Ukrainian and has had postings in the country, from human rights to security programming, though her last eight years have been in unrelated roles in federal departments.
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