(Toronto) The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, believes that Canadian students should pressure their elected officials to give more support to his country in its fight against the Russian invasion.
Posted at 2:54 p.m.
Speaking virtually to an audience of students gathered at the University of Toronto on Wednesday, Zelensky said Ukraine needs more weapons, financial support, humanitarian aid and permanent sanctions against Russia.
Students from 10 other universities across Canada participated in the virtual meet, including University of Montreal, University of Alberta, Western University and Dalhousie University.
“It is very important that you, students from many other countries, carry this message to your respective countries to pressure your political leadership to give Ukraine what it needs,” President Zelensky said. With your actions, please do not allow anyone, somewhere in the hierarchy of the bureaucratic corridors, to forget what is happening in Ukraine, to forget the war. Please don’t get tired. »
He suggested that students could contribute in their own way by participating in rallies, speaking out on social media and communicating with friends to remind people of the tragedies unfolding in Ukraine, nearly four months after the start. of Russia’s invasion of the country.
Speaking at the event, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland recalled that Canada had pledged $1.87 billion in financial assistance to Ukraine, including $1.5 billion has already been paid to the country. “That’s more than any other country has managed to send to the Ukrainian government’s bank account,” she said.
Mme Freeland asserted that democratic countries, including Canada, cannot allow Russian President Vladimir Putin to emerge victorious from this war, which aims to overthrow democracy in Ukraine.
“I want to say to President Zelensky, and I want to say to President Vladimir Putin, who I think is probably listening to us as well, that Canada will be there for Ukraine for as long as it takes,” she said. . We will persist. We will not get tired. »
University of Toronto President Meric Gertler says the institution has forged a ‘special bond’ with Ukraine’s president and that his country is showing ‘incredible bravery’ in its fight against Russian aggression .
Last month, the university announced a program to accommodate more than 200 Ukrainian students whose academic paths have been disrupted by war. A first group of 20 students arrived in Toronto last month from Kyiv, the capital.
Mr. Zelensky had visited the University of Toronto campus in 2019 to attend an international summit on the future of his country.