Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during an unannounced visit to Kyiv Saturday to reinforce Canada’s support for the fight against Russia, revealing that Canada is is committing $500 million in new military assistance to help the country fight against Moscow’s invasion.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland joined Trudeau on the trip, which began with a wreath-laying at a memorial wall to honour Ukrainians who lost their lives while defending their homeland.

It is the second time the Prime Minister has made an unannounced visit to the war-torn country since Russia began its large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Trudeau last travelled to Ukraine just over a year ago, to reopen the Canadian Embassy in Kyiv and met Zelenskyy in person for the first time since the war began.

Trudeau and Zelenskyy also spent some time together last month on the margins of the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan, where the Ukrainian president continued his campaign to garner support among western allies for the defence of his country.