>>/122418/ European Union President von der Leyen acknowledges Canada trained Ukrainian soldiers since 2015
Antony J. Blinken and Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly also acknowledged in September
Secretary Antony J. Blinken And Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly At a Joint Press Availability
SEPTEMBER 30, 2022
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Going back a year ago – Labor Day of a year ago – the President did his first drawdown of defense equipment to Ukraine. We did another significant one just before Christmas – again, well before the Russian aggression. That put into Ukrainian hands the very things that they needed and used so effectively – Stingers, Javelins to repel the aggression directed at Kyiv in the attempt to take over the whole country. That failed in large part because of the courage of the Ukrainian people, but also because we helped them get ready.
FOREIGN MINISTER JOLY: On also the question of whether this – the referendas and this so-called annexation by Russia of territories, obviously we do not recognize it. We do not want to give any form of legitimacy to it, and therefore, this won’t change our military strategy. And so that is why we’ll continue to send weaponry, and I would say, mainly where Canada’s expertise is, is training of Ukrainian officers. We have done that since 2014. Before the war, we had trained already 30,000 Ukrainian soldiers. And so we are partnering with the UK on this and we are training out of the UK many of the Ukrainian officers. Thank you.
https://www.state.gov/secretary-antony-j-blinken-and-canadian-foreign-minister-melanie-joly-at-a-joint-press-availability/