Yulia Kovaliv welcoming Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to Kyiv, May, 2022/Courtesy Ukraine Embassy

With war in the Middle East rightly drawing so much of the world’s attention, we’re maintaining a spotlight on Ukraine’s war of independence with a special Policy Online Ukraine series. As part of that series, Policy Contributing Writer Yaroslav Baran conducted the following email interview with Ukraine’s Ambassador to Canada, Yulia Kovaliv.

October 25, 2023

Policy: You were appointed ambassador to Canada just after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Did you ever imagine you would be a wartime ambassador, doing the heavy lift of lobbying for massive military and humanitarian support, and countering disinformation and propaganda campaigns? This is very different from any other role you’ve had in government.

Ambassador Kovaliv: The morning of February 24th, 2022, when we awoke to explosions and Russian bombardment, many of us were left wondering, “How can I help?” “What is my contribution to Ukraine’s defence and triumph?” It’s both an immense honour and a tremendous responsibility to represent Ukraine during this pivotal period in our modern history. Our team of Ukrainian diplomats here in Ottawa and around the world is working around the clock to support our victory.

This role carries enormous responsibility, primarily to our brave Ukrainian men and women on the front lines who are fighting for our sovereignty, freedom, and cherished democracy. Diplomacy is very different from my previous government work, but since February last year, every Ukrainian diplomat worldwide has had to adapt to a new, demanding set of responsibilities.

These encompass a wide range of challenges, from securing military support and engaging in collective diplomatic efforts to coordinating humanitarian support, securing efforts to investigate war crimes, ensuring global food security, managing energy and nuclear safety, and countering Russian propaganda. Being constantly engaged, well-prepared, and fully committed is absolutely crucial in this dynamic environment. You need to be always 100% involved.

Ambassador Kovaliv presenting her credentials to Governor General Mary Simon, June 7, 2022/Rideau Hall

Policy: Many Canadians are watching the war, and despite incremental gains, the counteroffensive appears to be slow.  Do you worry about Canadians throwing up their hands, saying “it’s a stalemate”, and losing interest?

Ambassador Kovaliv: As we reflect on the 20 months of Russian war against Ukraine and consider the initial assessments that Kyiv would fall within weeks or even days, we should acknowledge the significant achievements of Ukraine on the battlefield. And there are several other critical points that we must recognize.

First, it’s crucial to acknowledge that Russia has already strategically lost in Ukraine. Despite being dubbed the “Second biggest army in the world”, Russia not only failed to gain control over Ukraine and our capital but we have managed to liberate over 50% of the territory initially occupied by Russia.

Second, let’s consider the importance of the Black Sea. Russia had desperately attempted to block Black Sea maritime routes for Ukrainian grain exports. Ukraine now exports both grain and metal through these routes, thanks to the achievements of our armed forces and the military support of our partners, even after Russia’s withdrawal from the Istanbul Grain Initiative.

Third, Russia’s attempts to destroy Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and the morale of the Ukrainian people have failed. Despite more than 30 massive missile attacks on critical infrastructure, causing hours without light and heat in Ukraine, we managed to swiftly repair the infrastructure, and the morale of the Ukrainian people remains remarkably high.

Fourth, Russia has incurred massive losses in terms of manpower and military equipment, including 320 destroyed aircraft, over 320 helicopters, more than 5,000 tanks, 7,098 artillery units, and 20 ships. These figures continue to grow every day.

But what is the most important — Russian terroristic attacks can not and should not become a normality. The news reports about destroyed homes, churches or industrial facilities cannot become routine. I’m sure we all agree.

And we are confident that Canadians understand what is at stake in this war. These are values we share – values Russia wants to undermine. Russia is also seeking to undermine the strength of NATO.

The strong bonds between our countries are supported by deep connections between our peoples. I’ve heard from Canadians across the country about stories shared by friends, relatives, or acquaintances in Ukraine. These stories illustrate the lives of a people fighting for its freedom, highlighting humanity and courage.

Today, Ukraine fights to protect democracy and the rule of law, and I firmly believe Canadians will continue to stand with Ukraine until we achieve victory.

Policy: Canada has a large, strong and networked Ukrainian diaspora; that must give you a base of support. But Canada is also a middle power with a small defence base and low military spending. How have you been leveraging and navigating these realities? And what is it that you realistically look to get from Canada in terms of ongoing support?

Ambassador Kovaliv: We greatly value Canada’s strong support. It’s worth highlighting that Canada stands second only to the United States in terms of the volume of financial assistance provided to Ukraine. Canada also leads in imposing sanctions against those undermining Ukraine, and advocates strongly for Ukraine in international organizations.

On military support – Canada joined our international tank, fighter jet, and air defence coalition. The Operation UNIFIER training program is of great value to our General Defence Staff. We have strong military support coordination.  We are also building cooperation between the Ukrainian and Canadian defence sectors.

There will be enormous opportunities for Canadian businesses to participate in Ukraine’s rebuilding after the war. The recently signed modernized Canada Ukraine Free Trade Agreement (CUFTA) paves the way even further for future growth in trade and investments.

 Ambassador Kovaliv with Ukrainian filmmakers at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival/Courtesy Ukraine Embassy

Policy: The government of Canada is going through a cost-cutting exercise, looking to trim $15.4 billion, with reportedly $1 billion of this coming out of the Defence budget. What impact do you foresee this having on Canada’s financial and military support for Ukraine, and what messages are you bringing to the Government of Canada about it?

Ambassador Kovaliv: Led by the US-Ukraine Defense Contact Group, known as the Ramstein Group, we now have a coordination platform to address our needs. The defense ministers of more than 50 countries directly understand the real needs on the front line. At the same time, we understand our partners’ stockpiles of weapons aren’t unlimited. The crucial role now is for the defence industry to be able to quickly address growing demand, as many NATO members are increasing their defence spending both to replace stock and to meet the 2% NATO commitment. And the defence industry needs longer-term perspective.

We strongly appreciate the decision of the Government of Canada to announce multi-year commitments to provide military support to Ukraine. It opens the door for longer planning, including for the Canadian defense industry to support us with our needed military equipment.  This longer-term approach is very timely and important; it will allow the production of artillery, munitions, armored vehicles and many more Ukrainian needs to end the war, restore our sovereign boarders and definitively stop Russian imperial ambitions in the region.

Military support for Ukraine is an investment in national security for Canada and NATO countries. By helping Ukraine defend its sovereignty, NATO member states like Canada contribute to a more secure Europe and strengthen the alliance’s collective defense capabilities.

Thank you, Ambassador.

Thank you.

Ambassador Yulia Kovaliv has been in her current post since March, 2022. Previously, she served in a number of senior roles in the government of Ukraine, including as Deputy Head of the Office of the President.

Policy Contributing Writer Yaroslav Baran is on the executive of the Canada Ukraine Foundation and is former president of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress in Ottawa. He is co-founder of Pendulum Group.