Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney travelled to Poland on Monday after visiting Kyiv as part of a tour of European capitals to rally support for security guarantees for Ukraine.
This comes as recent peace efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war after three and a half years appear to have stalled.
“Allies and partners must intensify our efforts for a just and lasting peace,” Mr Carney wrote on X, after attending celebrations for Ukraine's independence day on Sunday.
After a push by US President Donald Trump this month to broker a Ukraine-Russia summit, hopes for peace dimmed when Russia on Friday ruled out any immediate Putin-Zelenskyy meeting.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaking at the ceremony that marked Ukraine's independence after the break up of the Soviet Union in 1991, vowed to “push Russia to peace”.
“Today, both the US and Europe agree: Ukraine has not yet fully won, but it will certainly not lose,” Mr Zelenskyy said. “Ukraine has secured its independence. Ukraine is not a victim; it is a fighter.”
The ceremony was attended by Mr Trump's special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg. Mr Zelenskyy presented him with the Ukrainian Order of Merit, telling him “we need peace”.
Canada backs Ukraine's calls for robust security guarantees as part of any peace deal and does not rule out sending troops under such a framework, Mr Carney told the Ukrainian President.
“In Canada's judgment, it is not realistic that the only security guarantee could be the strength of the Ukrainian armed forces … that needs to be buttressed and reinforced,” Mr Carney said at a joint press conference with Mr Zelenskyy.
The Ukrainian President has said he wants future security guarantees as part of a potential peace deal to be as close as possible to Nato's Article 5, which considers an attack on one member state as an attack against all.
Russia has repeatedly objected to the possibility of western troops being stationed in Ukraine. But Mr Carney said it was not “the choice of Russia how the future sovereignty, independence, liberty of Ukraine is guaranteed”.
The Canadian and Ukrainian leaders also signed an agreement on drone co-production, and Mr Carney said Ukraine would receive more than C$1 billion ($723 million) in military aid from a previously announced package next month.
In Warsaw, Mr Carney was greeted by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. They were scheduled to discuss trade and defence ties, according to The Canadian Press news agency. He is then scheduled to travel to Germany to meet Chancellor Friedrich Merz before ending his trip in Latvia on Wednesday, where he plans to visit Canadian troops stationed there.
This is Mr Carney's fourth trip to Europe since taking office in March, as he moves to align Canada closer with Europe, amid souring relations with the US under Mr Trump.
A senior government official said ahead of the trip that bringing Canada closer to Europe is a “top priority” for the Carney government, The Canadian Press reported.
Since 2015, Canada has trained 45,000 Ukrainian troops under Operation Unifier. Canada is also a member of the coalition of the willing, a group of states that have pledged to support Ukraine.
