US Ambassador Hoekstra Thanks Canada for Contributing to Ukraine Security

U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra has thanked Prime Minister Mark Carney and Canada for its contributions to security guarantees for Ukraine following a meeting of Ukraine’s allies in France on Jan. 6.

Carney attended the meeting in Paris with fellow leaders of the “Coalition of the Willing,” an alliance comprising more than 30 nations that have pledged to provide political, military, and security support to Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. representatives of the proposed peace process also attended the meeting.

The meeting was called to facilitate discussion on terms of a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia, with Carney telling reporters on Jan. 6 that the main objective of the meeting was to “finalize the security guarantees amongst ourselves.”

Hoekstra praised Carney and Canada in a Jan. 7 post on X for Canada’s contributions to the Coalition’s “security framework.”

“Security guarantees let the people of Ukraine know that when this war ends, it ends forever. Yesterday’s meeting was a big step forward toward bringing peace to Ukraine,” Hoekstra wrote.

The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a Jan. 6 statement after the meeting concluded that the members of the Coalition, Ukraine, and the United States “confirmed that ensuring the sovereignty and lasting security of Ukraine shall be an integral part of a peace agreement, and that any settlement will have to be backed up by robust security guarantees for Ukraine.”

The allies are ready to commit to “a system of politically and legally binding guarantees,” which will be activated once a cease-fire begins, the PMO said.

The security guarantees will include participating in a U.S.-led cease-fire monitoring and verification mechanism and continued support for the Ukrainian military, including defence packages, financing the purchase of weapons, and cooperating with Ukraine on its budget to fund its military, among other measures, the PMO said.

The guarantees will also include a multinational force for Ukraine, involving members of the Coalition and the proposed support of the United States, as well as binding commitments to support Ukraine in the case of a future armed attack by Russia, and a commitment to deepening long-term defence cooperation with Ukraine.

The allies also decided to establish a U.S./Ukraine/Coalition “coordination cell” at the Coalition Operational Headquarters in Paris, the PMO said.

Carney told reporters ahead of the meeting on Jan. 6 that Canada will continue to build up its military in the years ahead, in part to provide security guarantees for Ukraine.

Canada has been in discussions for months about making an “appropriate and serious contribution” to Ukraine security guarantees, a senior government official told reporters on the plane to Paris.

In terms of what Canada can provide to Ukraine, Carney said it starts with training, noting that the Canadian Armed Forces have provided training to thousands of Ukrainian soldiers. Carney said Canada can also provide Ukraine with “logistics, surveillance, and cyber” support, and will seek to expand weapons production through joint ventures with Ukraine.

The prime minister also said it’s “a possibility” that Canada could put Canadian troops on the ground as part of the “multilateral force,” including Ukraine allies and the United States, to support Ukraine.