Zelenskyy, accompanied by Trudeau, greets large crowd of supporters in Toronto

TORONTO - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is greeting a large crowd of supporters at a Canadian Armed Forces facility in Toronto.

About 1,000 people have gathered in the Fort York Armoury to show support for Zelenskyy, who is visiting Canada for the first time since Russian troops began a full-scale assault on Ukraine in February 2022.

Zelenskyy arrived at the venue accompanied by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland.

The Ukrainian president thanked Canada and Canadians earlier today during an address to Parliament in Ottawa for standing with his country and his people in the war against Russia.

Trudeau has announced that Canada is extending its financial support to Ukraine with a $650-million commitment to give the country more predictable and stable support over the next three years.

Canada has already contributed more than $8 billion in support to Ukraine, including providing air defence systems, armoured vehicles and artillery shells, and training of Ukrainian soldiers, among other commitments.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 22, 2023.