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    • Ukrainian foreign minister will be 'more than happy' if war is won this year

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    As the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine approaches, the latter’s foreign minister says he’ll be “more than happy†if they can win the war this year.

    In an exclusive interview airing Sunday, when asked whether he believes victory is possible this year, Dmytro Kuleba told CTV’s Question Period host Vassy Kapelos he won’t make any predictions.

    “I'm not setting any deadlines, because I think they can be misleading, but 2024 will be a year of importance,†Kuleba said.

    “If we can win by the end of the year, I will be more than happy,†he added. “If it turns out that we have to continue in 2025, we will until we win. It's very simple.â€

    The interview came just ahead of Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly’s trip to Ukraine this week, during which she met with Kuleba, and announced an initiative to “return Ukrainian children and advance negotiations on long-term security commitments.â€

    Kuleba in his interview also discussed Ukraine’s need for more support, on the heels of a deal among European Union member countries to provide Ukraine with a new 50-billion-euro (C$81 billion) aid package.

    U.S. Congress, however, remains at a standstill over whether to approve more aid money as well. Kuleba said he hopes American lawmakers will follow the EU’s lead and increase their support for Ukraine.

    Kuleba said if the U.S. does not approve its new aid package, Ukraine will keep fighting, because it has to, but that there will be more casualties.

    “The price of fighting will be much higher for us, because it will be far more difficult for us to continue defending our land, and human costs will increase for us dramatically,†he said.

    No updated timeline on NASAMS delivery

    Kuleba also reiterated earlier statements he’d made that he anticipates a “battle for the sky†as the importance of air warfare will increase this year.

    Early last year, Canada announced it would donate a $406-million surface-to-air missile defence system (NASAMS) to Ukraine. But as The Canadian Press reported last month, the equipment still hasn’t been delivered, and it’s unclear when it will be.

    One of the two companies involved in building the NASAPS said it does not have a contract for the donation, The Canadian Press also reported.

    Kuleba said Ukraine “welcomed the announcement from Canada†last year, but has not been given an updated timeline for the NASAMS delivery, which he said he hopes to be as soon as possible, “because Russia continues to terrorize Ukraine from the air.â€

    “I just call on everyone involved in it to act with without a single delay,†he said.

    When asked about the impact of those delays, Kuleba said it is “more undefended to Ukrainian cities, (and) more Russian missiles and drones falling on (them).â€

    “As soon as an opportunity was provided, Canada transferred funds to the United States for the purchase of the NASAMs in March of 2023,†wrote Defence Minister Bill Blair spokesperson Diana Ebadi in an emailed statement to Â鶹´«Ã½. “At every step of the way, Canada has done everything possible to expedite the delivery of this system.â€

    “NASAMs are critically important to Ukraine’s ongoing fight against Russian aggression and Minister Blair believes that this system needs to be delivered as quickly as possible,†she added.

    Ebadi said that Blair is in “regular contact†with U.S. Ambassador to Canada David Cohen on the issue, and has “received assurances†that U.S. officials are working on delivering on its end as soon as possible.

    To date, Canada has sent 300 air-defence missiles to Ukraine, while it’s also committed more than $9.5 billion in aid, and $2.4 billion in military aid — including Leopard 2 battle tanks, small arms, M777 howitzers and drone cameras — Ebadi wrote.

    With files from CTV’s Question Period Senior Producer Stephanie Ha   

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