Latest news on Russia and the war in Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is making his first trip to Canada on Friday, where he will meet Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and address Parliament.

The trip is expected to be easier than his visit to the U.S Thursday, where a number of politicians were skeptical about providing more military aid to Ukraine.

“Canada will continue to support Ukraine as long as it takes and we will always stand firm to defend the rule of law and the international rules based on order,” Trudeau told reporters Thursday, according to Reuters.

Some members of the U.S. Senate are not in favor of supplying Ukraine with an extra $24 billion worth of support.

— Hannah Ward-Glenton

U.S. President Joe Biden said the first U.S. Abrams tanks would be delivered in Ukraine next week, in a statement made after talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

On Thursday, Biden approved the next tranche of assistance for Ukraine, including artillery, ammunition, anti-tank weapons and more HAWK air defense equipment.

Biden reaffirmed his commitment to supporting Ukraine when it comes to security assistance, military equipment and humanitarian aid, as Russia “hopes to once more use winter as a weapon against the people of Ukraine.”

The U.S. President has been met with opposition to his plans to send more military aid to Ukraine, with some Senate members refusing to agree to a $24 billion aid package.

In his statement, Biden said he was “counting on the good judgement of the United States Congress,” as “[t]here’s no alternative.”

— Hannah Ward-Glenton

Russian forces blasted the town of Kurakhovo in the region of Donetsk overnight, the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Donbas, Roman Padun, told Ukrainian news site Suspilno Donbas, according to a Google translation.

Residential buildings were hit, Padun said, leaving people trapped under rubble. A fire broke out and 13 people were reported as injured.

— Hannah Ward-Glenton

Poland said Wednesday that it will no longer supply its neighbor Ukraine with weapons, amid an ongoing and deepening rift over agricultural exports.

“We no longer transfer weapons to [Ukraine], because we are now arming Poland,” Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said Wednesday on the X social media platform, previously known as Twitter, according to a Google translation.

“Ukraine is defending itself against the brutal Russian attack and I understand this situation, but as I said, we will protect our country,” he added.

Warsaw has been one of Kyiv’s staunchest allies since mutual foe Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 but the latest comments followed a dramatic deterioration of relations between Kyiv and Warsaw this week.

A recent dispute over Ukraine’s agricultural exports — which have had to be transferred via eastern European countries while Russia has effectively blockaded grain ships leaving the country’s ports — has threatened to break the alliance.

Ukraine this week threatened to sue Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia over their refusal to lift a ban on imports of Ukrainian agricultural products and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy insinuated that some European countries had feigned support for Ukraine, prompting anger in Warsaw.

Read more on the story here: One of Ukraine’s strongest allies says it will no longer supply Kyiv with weapons

Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy on Wednesday called for Russia to lose its veto power within the U.N. Security Council.

In an address in New York, Zelenskyy said the move was a necessary step in bringing an end to the fighting in his country.

“It is impossible to stop the war because all efforts are vetoed by the aggressor,” he said, adding that reforms of the council were long overdue.

“I know that the U.N. is capable of more. I’m confident that the U.N. Charter can actually work for the sake of peace and security globally. However, for this to happen, the years-long discussions and projects on U.N. reform must be translated into a viable process of UN reform,” he said.

— Karen Gilchrist

President Joe Biden welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the White House on Thursday as the embattled leader seeks to shore up additional support for his war-torn country.

Biden was seeking a “battlefield perspective” from Zelenskyy in their meeting, according to National Security Council spokesman John Kirby.

Speaking in the Oval Office before the meeting, Zelenskyy thanked the United States, saying the countries are “really truly allies.” He said he intended to talk about weapons systems with Biden, “with a special emphasis on air defense.”

“I am in Washington to strengthen Ukraine’s position to defend our children, our families, our homes, freedom and democracy in the world,” Zelenskyy said.

Biden called Ukraine a “partner” and said he was working with other G7 allies to formalize a commitment to the country’s long-term security.

Biden announced a $325 million military aid package during the meeting with Zelenskyy, NBC News reported.

— Emma Kinery and Scott Mlyn