Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Canada on Friday to accompany his country to victory, in a speech to the Canadian Parliament in which he sought to shore up Western allies’ support for Ukraine’s war against the Russian invasion.

“Moscow must lose once and for all. And he will lose,” Zelenskyy said.

Ukraine’s president said Canada has always been on the “right side of history” in previous wars and said it helped save thousands of lives in this war through its assistance. He also thanked Canadians for their financial support and for allowing Ukrainians fleeing the war to feel at home in Canada.

Zelenskyy thanked Canada several times and received several standing ovations from dignitaries and parliamentarians.

Zelensky linked the current suffering of the Ukrainian people to the genocide instigated by Stalin in the 1930s, when the Soviet leader was accused of creating a famine in Ukraine that reportedly killed more than 3 million people. He pointed out that it was in Edmonton, Canada, that the world’s first monument was erected in 1993 to commemorate the famine genocide in Ukraine.

He expressed hope that one day a monument to Ukraine’s victory over the Russian invasion would be erected in Canada, “perhaps in Edmonton.”

“I have many words of affection and gratitude from Ukraine to you,” Zelenskyy said in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office before his speech. “They helped us on the battlefield, economically and with humanitarian aid…Stay with us until we win.”

Trudeau saw the visit as an opportunity to show Zelensky “how firmly and unquestionably we stand with Ukraine” and announced an additional 650 million Canadian dollars (US$482 million) for the construction of 50 vehicles armored vehicles in Canada.

“We are shifting our focus to multi-year assistance to ensure Ukraine has the predictable support it needs over the long term,” Trudeau said at a news conference.

He also said that since the start of the war, Canada has provided Ukraine with nearly C$9 billion (US$6.7 billion) in military, financial and humanitarian aid.

Zelensky and Trudeau are also expected to travel to Toronto to meet with the local Ukrainian community. About 1.4 million people of Ukrainian origin live in Canada, or about 4% of the population.

“Given the reluctance of many Republicans in the US Congress to continue supporting Ukraine and the tensions between Ukraine and some of its key allies like Poland, Canada is seen as a reliable support for Ukraine, so Zelensky will be in friendly territory during his visit. in Canada,” said Daniel Béland, professor of political science at McGill University in Montreal.

“An important fact to remember is that 4% of Canadians are of Ukrainian origin, including Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland. »