Speech to the Commons, rally in Toronto
The West Block promises to be packed for the President of Ukraine’s address at 1 p.m., just as it was in March 2022 when he addressed the Parliament by videoconference, on day 20 of the Russian invasion. The days have passed, and it will be the 576e since the start of the war, this Friday, that elected officials and senators will gather to listen to him. At the end of his speech, the president and Justin Trudeau will hold a press conference, then fly to Toronto. There will be a large rally at the Fort York Armory, with speeches and handshakes.
PHOTO BRYAN R. SMITH, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Volodymyr Zelensky addressing the UN General Assembly last Tuesday
Fight fatigue
President Zelensky is making a detour to Canada after spending the last few days in the United States. “He is on a diplomatic tour at the moment. At the United Nations, the objective was to convince countries which are not very active in their support, i.e. the countries of the South,” says Emmanuelle Rousseau, doctoral student affiliated with the Center for International Studies and Research of the University of Montreal (CERIUM). In Washington, where he was on Thursday, and in Ottawa, this Friday, the idea is more to ensure that Kyiv’s allies resist the temptation to “reduce their military support” because the counter-offensive is “slipin'”, believes the specialist in the post-Soviet space.
A “delicate posture”
The slowness in reconquering Ukrainian territories places the president in a “delicate position,” judges Professor Maria Popova of Concordia University. “The effectiveness of the counter-offensive is not up to expectations, but this is because the West did not deliver the equipment that Ukraine requested on time […] and therefore, he must not appear to be expressing ingratitude,” explains this specialist in Russian-Ukrainian ties. Last July, on the sidelines of the NATO summit, British Defense Minister Ben Wallace expressed some frustration with Ukraine’s numerous requests. “We are not Amazon,” he said.
“Expect nice words”
The most recent Canadian aid announcement was last Sunday. While in the United Kingdom, the new Canadian Minister of National Defense, Bill Blair, announced a contribution of 33 million to a partnership which supplies air defense missiles to Ukraine. The money comes from the 500 million envelope announced by Justin Trudeau during his visit to Kyiv last June. Professor Justin Massie, co-director of the Strategic Analysis Network, does not anticipate that Canada’s military aid will increase significantly: “On the contrary, budget cuts are to be expected given the desire to reduce the size of the deficit, and the Department of National Defense is a prime target for any federal budget cuts. » So we should “expect nice words, but not an offer of significant additional help” as part of this visit, he predicts.
Visit against a backdrop of Indian crisis
President Zelensky arrives in the country at a time when India, not Ukraine, is making headlines. “It will be a welcome break for Mr. Trudeau, to be seen alongside an ally and a friend,” argues Stéphanie Chouinard, associate professor of political science at the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston. That said, “this visit is far from sufficient” to restore the image of a Prime Minister whose “management of international affairs” has taken its toll, she believes. But the Ukrainian leader’s star has also faded, notes the political scientist: “There are criticisms of his management of the war, but also of his cabinet. His defense minister was replaced; he too is probably experiencing some fatigue. »
“Difficult months ahead”
Ukraine warned on Thursday of “difficult months ahead”, after the “massive” Russian night attack which targeted several cities, at a time when Volodymyr Zelensky was in Washington to demand more powerful weapons. The upcoming arrival of the cold season makes the country’s authorities fear that Moscow will relaunch a campaign of strikes on the energy system to plunge the civilian population into darkness and cold, as during the winter of 2022. “Difficult months are causing us are waiting: Russia will continue to attack energy and essential installations,” warned the deputy head of the presidential administration, Oleksiï Kouleba, accusing Moscow of wanting to “sow panic.”
France Media Agency