Kyiv, Ukraine – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Canada on Thursday night. He is scheduled to hold a series of important meetings and discussions with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. A statement from the Canadian Prime Minister’s Office indicated that the visit “will focus primarily on shared priorities between the two countries, particularly deepening strategic cooperation in the fields of defense, the economy, and energy.” The statement also emphasized Canada’s steadfast and profound commitment to supporting Ukraine’s defense efforts, as well as its comprehensive recovery and reconstruction initiatives.
An intensive visit schedule and the final stop in Oslo.
The visit to Canada follows Zelenskyy’s trip to the Norwegian capital, Oslo, where, on Wednesday, he attended the funeral of King Harald—who passed away on August 28 at the age of 89. Prior to that, on Tuesday, the Ukrainian president met with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre to discuss ways to strengthen and develop Ukraine’s air defense systems.
The visit program for the Ukrainian President, accompanied by his wife, Olena Zelenska, is set to include attendance at public and official events in the cities of Calgary, Toronto, and North Bay (Ontario). Additionally, he will hold coordination meetings with senior government officials in Banff (Alberta). The visit is scheduled to officially conclude on Friday.
Behind the Scenes of the Aerial Threat in Moldova
In a related development, statements made by Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre on Wednesday evening sparked controversy. He revealed that President Zelenskyy’s plane had narrowly avoided being struck by a drone while departing the Moldovan capital, Chișinău, on Tuesday. For its part, the Moldovan government explained that it had been forced to temporarily suspend operations and close its airspace on Tuesday afternoon following an “airspace violation by a Russian drone coming from Ukrainian territory.”
Moldovan government spokesman Dumitru Ciorici confirmed that defense systems successfully destroyed the drone approximately 160 kilometers from Chișinău International Airport. Consequently, this action allowed President Zelenskyy’s plane to take off after a brief delay. Meanwhile, a senior source within the Ukrainian presidency downplayed the incident, telling AFP that claims of a real, direct threat to Zelenskyy’s life were “exaggerated.”
