Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Arrives in Calgary Ahead of Carney Meeting

CALGARY—Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy landed in Calgary on Wednesday night ahead of a scheduled meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney.

They are set to meet in the city Thursday morning, and Zelenskyy is to later address a cabinet meeting in the nearby mountain resort town of Banff, Alta.

Carney said the visit will focus on the countries’ shared priorities, including deepening defence, economic and energy co-operation.

“It will also address the human cost of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and build on the strong people-to-people ties that connect our countries,” Carney said in a statement.

“Canada remains steadfast in our commitment to support Ukraine’s defence, recovery and reconstruction.”

Zelenskyy and his wife, Olena Zelenska, were met at the Calgary airport by several officials, including Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand, before they were whisked away in a black SUV.

The couple is also set to visit Toronto and North Bay, Ont., before leaving Friday.

It’s Zelenskyy’s first visit to Canada in 2026. He was in Halifax in December amid efforts to end the war with Russia that started in 2014.

Carney visited Kyiv in August 2025, and his predecessor Justin Trudeau visited Ukraine each year after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Kyiv has suffered a barrage of Russian airstrikes in recent months, and Ukraine has pleaded for more air defence support from its allies.

Since 2022, Canada has pledged $6.5 billion in military assistance for Ukraine running through to 2029.

Members of Parliament across party lines have put Ukraine at the centre of their foreign policy platforms. In May, Canada joined an agreement to learn from Ukrainian drone producers.

Ottawa has made no new funding announcements for Ukraine since.

The Kiel Institute, which measures global contributions to Ukraine, pegs Canada as the fourth most generous in raw dollars, and in 12th place based on gross domestic product. Canada’s donations include military aid, government financing and humanitarian support.