A new charter challenge set to get underway on Monday will test the constitutionality of a controversial Ontario law that allows hospitals to place discharged patients into long-term care homes not of their choosing or face a $400-per-day charge if they refuse.
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy makes surprise visit to Lithuania to discuss war
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has made an unannounced visit to Lithuania, a key ally of Kyiv as it .
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said in a statement he was welcoming Zelenskyy to his country, where the two leaders would discuss the war and Ukrainian “integration into the EU and NATO.â€
Zelenksy said the issue of “cooperation on electronic warfare and drones†would also be on the agenda, following on Ukraine in what has been a bloody start to the new year.
Support for Ukraine in the Baltics has remained resolute while it has wavered in Washington. Ukraine in December received its last package of military aid from the United States until a divided Congress approves the Biden administration’s funding request, which seeks to steel Ukraine as it prepares to enter its third year of war.
Zelenskyy said that what his country is “sorely lacking†is modern air defence systems. Speaking in Vilnius during a press conference with Nauseda, Zelenskyy said “regarding the thing that as of today we are unable to produce short-term together with our partners is modern air defence systems. This is sorely lacking.â€
“I think you’ve seen, and journalists know the details, that in the last days of December, the ‘holiday’ days for us, and in the first days of January, Russia attacked civilian infrastructure, people, kindergartens, schools, electricity. In total, there were 500 missile and drone strikes. We were able to repel an average of 70 per cent of these attacks. Unfortunately, there were casualties. My condolences to those who lost their loved ones,†Zelenskyy said.
“That is why we should fight this enemy with technology until we drive them out of our land and the war is over.â€
Zelenskyy arrived Wednesday at the airport in Vilnius, Lithuania’s capital, on a plane bearing the Ukrainian coat of arms. He will then visit the other two Baltic states, Latvia and Estonia, he said on Telegram, without giving a timeline.
The Ukrainian president last visited Lithuania in July 2023 to attend the , where he pushed for a clear path for his country to join the alliance and a timeline for its accession.
But despite Zelenskyy’s urgency and optimism, US President Joe Biden ahead of the summit that Ukraine could not be admitted to NATO while war was raging on its territory.
Ukraine did, however, secure a streamlined path to future membership. NATO Secretary Jens Stoltenberg said the bloc had changed Ukraine’s membership path “from a two-step process to a one-step process,†by removing the Membership Action Plan – a burdensome program of economic, defence and security reforms other recently admitted countries had to go through before joining the bloc.
Zelenskyy received a from the Lithuanian public when he gave a speech in Lukiskes Square during the summit. Addressing thousands on a stage decked out with the blue and yellow of the Ukrainian flag, Zelenskyy said that “Ukraine will make NATO stronger.â€
Lithuania was the first country to leave the Soviet Union, splitting from the bloc in March 1990. Lukiskes Square once featured a huge state of Lenin – and large crowds gathered to celebrate its removal in 1991. Many in the country retain deep historical resentment towards Russia, which has fuelled its staunch support for Ukraine.
Arriving in Vilnius Wednesday, Zelenskyy once again expressed his “gratitude†towards Lithuania. Writing on X, he thanked his ally for its “uncompromising support for Ukraine since 2014 and especially now, during Russia’s full-scale aggression.â€
According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, which monitors and ranks countries’ financial support for Ukraine, Lithuania has committed around 1.4 per cent of its GDP in aid for Ukraine – the second-highest amount among Kyiv’s allies, behind only Norway.
Yulia Kesaieva contributed to this report.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
A six-year-old boy from northeastern Manitoba who had been missing since last Wednesday has been found dead.
Trump says, if he loses, 2024 run will be his last
Former U.S. president Donald Trump said on Sunday that he doesn't 'think' he'd run again for president in 2028 if he falls short in his bid to return to the White House in 2024.
DEVELOPING Lebanon sees deadliest day in nearly a year of fighting as officials say Israeli strikes kill 100
Israeli strikes killed some 100 Lebanese Monday in the deadliest and most intense barrage in nearly a year as the Israeli military warned residents in southern and eastern Lebanon to evacuate their homes ahead of a widening air campaign against Hezbollah.
Here are the eight new emoji coming to smartphones
Finally, an emoji to represent us all is coming soon: An exhausted face with bags under its eyes.
Justin Trudeau to be guest on 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' during New York visit
The prime minister's official itinerary says the interview will be shot during his trip to New York, where he is meeting with other world leaders ahead of the 78th gathering of the United Nations General Assembly.
opinion How to create a budget that works for you
Are you struggling to create a budget that fits your life and schedule? Personal finance contributor Christopher Liew shares some simple budgeting methods and offer some tips to help you create, and follow, a budget plan.
Kremlin declines comment after deadly shootout at Russia's largest online retailer
The Kremlin on Monday said it did not want to comment on a deadly shootout last week at the Moscow office of Russia's largest online retailer, Wildberries.
Search underway for suspects in Alabama mass shooting that killed 4 and injured 17
Authorities have reported no arrests after a weekend mass shooting killed four people and left 17 others injured in what police described as a targeted 'hit' by multiple shooters who opened fire outside a popular Alabama nightspot.
Local Spotlight
A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.
A Nova Scotian YouTuber has launched a mini-truck bookmobile.
Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.
Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.
An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.
They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.
A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.
Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.
The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.