The Canada-Ukraine Foundation asks Ottawa to match donations received for 2026
(Ottawa) The Canada-Ukraine Foundation has asked Ottawa to match, dollar for dollar, all private donations made to it in 2026 to support its humanitarian aid work in Ukraine.
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Executive Director Valeriy Kostyuk said that although his organization has raised more than 100 million for Ukraine since the Russian invasion began on February 24, 2022, the demand for food, water, medical equipment and electricity generators continues to rise.
The foundation is asking the federal government to match all private donations it receives in 2026.
Tuesday marks the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
More than a million people have been killed and millions more displaced in the war between Russia and Ukraine since Moscow’s aggression in 2022.
Mr. Kostyuk said the reconstruction of Ukraine must begin before the end of the war, and if Canadians support this goal, the federal government should do the same.
Ottawa has provided billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine since the start of the war, including $6.5 billion in military aid.
Despite this, analysts say that support for Ukraine’s defense from Canada and its counterparts is still insufficient.
“It’s still too slow and we’re not addressing the need to help Ukraine win this war,” said Wendy Gilmour, who oversaw industrial collaboration for the Department of National Defense during Russia’s initial invasion in 2014 and served as NATO’s deputy secretary general overseeing defense investments.
“What we need to learn from Ukraine is how to adapt under pressure. »
Canada joined its European allies in Paris last month to sign an agreement on future security guarantees for Ukraine.
The agreement stipulates that Ukraine’s allies will secure the country’s land, air and sea borders if a viable ceasefire agreement is presented to it.
Last week, the third round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine took place, under the auspices of the United States.
The future of Russian control over Ukrainian territory is at the heart of the negotiations, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky saying his country will not cede territory in exchange for peace.
“This is a brutal attempt at ethnocide on a scale not seen in the West since the Second World War,” Kostyuk said.
With information from Nick Murray and Dylan Robertson.
