Carney announces billions in funding for Ukraine at G7 meeting

BANFF, ALTA. — Prime Minister Mark Carney announced wide-ranging new support for Ukraine as he met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, including new sanctions against Russia and $2 billion in military funding. Carney announced the new package as he began a bilateral meeting with Zelenskyy in Kananaskis, Alta., on the final day of the annual G7 summit. “To be absolutely clear, this support will be unwavering until we get a just peace for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people,” said Carney. The announcement includes new sanctions targeting Russia’s energy revenues and its 200-vessel shadow fleet, though details of which specific Russian organizations or individuals are targetted were not immediately available. Carney also committed $2 billion in new funding to purchase drones, ammunition and armoured vehicles, and a new $2.3-billion loan for Ukraine to rebuild infrastructure shattered by Russia’s assault. Zelenskyy thanked Carney for his invitation and his “very important words, warm words” and support for Ukraine. “Ukraine has had, our family has had, a very difficult night, one of the biggest attacks from the very beginning of this war,” said Zelenskyy said, alluding to an overnight missile attack on Kyiv, which he said killed 12 people and injured 130. “It was a big attack on civilian infrastructure.” Zelenskyy said that Ukraine is ready for peace negotiations with Russia. Carney and Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand are meeting with Zelenskyy on Tuesday morning in Kananaskis. Shortly before meeting with Zelenskyy, Carney welcomed NATO secretary general Mark Rutte, who will join in discussions with the remaining six G7 leaders about Russia’s war on its neighbour. Since February 2023, Ukraine has been fending off attacks from Vladimir Putin’s Russia. Although Ukraine has the backing of some of the most powerful countries in the world, it has been unable to successfully repel Russia. Overnight, a Russian missile attack brought down a nine-storey apartment building in Kyiv, killing 14 people and wounding another 156. The announcement came on the final day of the G7 Summit. U.S. President Donald Trump, who left the summit early on Monday evening, complained Monday that Russia, which was ejected from what was then the G8 in 2018 over its annexation of Crimea, had not been readmitted to the alliance of wealthy nations. With additional reporting from The Canadian Press and The Associated Press.  Get more deep-dive National Post political coverage and analysis in your inbox with the Political Hack newsletter, where Ottawa bureau chief Stuart Thomson and political analyst Tasha Kheiriddin get at what’s really going on behind the scenes on Parliament Hill every Wednesday and Friday, exclusively for subscribers. Sign up here. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our newsletters here.