Carney pledges $2B for Ukraine, sanctions for Russian 'shadow fleet' as war enters 5th year

Canada is donating an additional $2 billion of military equipment, including more than 400 armoured vehicles, to Ukraine as the embattled Eastern European country's war with Russia rolls into its fifth year.

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the assistance on Tuesday at the same time as Global Affairs Canada announced additional sanctions on individuals and companies that are helping fuel Moscow's war effort, including Russian firms that specialize in artificial intelligence, drone production and individual tankers that smuggle Russian oil to market.

The prime minister also announced a three-year extension of Operation Unifier, the Canadian military training mission that has — since 2015 — helped instruct an estimated 47,000 Ukrainian soldiers.

"We're in it for the long haul," Carney said on his way into cabinet Tuesday on Parliament Hill. "Russia is failing. The sooner they come to the table and actually participate in peace negotiations, the better it will be."

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Speaking to journalists following the meeting, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia has not achieved its objectives in his country and that the next trilateral meeting aimed at getting a ceasefire — involving negotiators from Ukraine, Russia and the U.S. — would happen within a week or 10 days.

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Carney, who also participated in the coalition meeting, echoed Zelenskyy's sentiment.

"Russia is failing to achieve all of its objectives, four years into this conflict, 12 years if you include its annexation — its illegal annexation — of Crimea," Carney said.

"Four years on, Russia is failing militarily, strategically and economically."

Part of the enhanced sanctions package, announced Tuesday, targeted 100 ships that are part of Russia's "shadow fleet" of tankers.

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