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The Incredible Ways Canadians Are Helping Ukraine
Canadians have been strong supporters of Ukraine in various ways, from government assistance and humanitarian organizations to volunteers and fighters who have put their lives on the line.
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“Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale armed aggression, the Canadian people have manifested true solidarity with Ukraine through political, military, humanitarian, and financial support,” Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on July 1, 2026—Canada Day.
Canadian support for Ukraine goes back further, prompting then-Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to say in 2014, during a visit to the country, that “Ukraine is probably the most Canadian nation after Canada itself.”
The statement captured something both countries have long understood: despite an ocean between them, Canada and Ukraine share political realities, culture, and a long-standing historical relationship stretching back hundreds of years.
Today, Canada and Canadians have been crucial in providing help to Ukraine in its fight for survival against Russia’s invasion. This has involved providing military or humanitarian aid, assistance from NGOs and non-profits, and individuals coming to assist Ukrainian civilians or fighting in the Ukrainian military. We explain the different ways Canadians have helped Ukraine.
Canadian government assistance to Ukraine
The Canadian government has been a major supplier of humanitarian aid to Ukraine. In 2022, for example, it was providing a higher amount in terms of GDP than many other countries. Canada’s aid has not just been humanitarian, however. Canada has provided M777 Howitzers, NASAMS, missiles, and Canadian-built equipment, including LAV 6 armored personnel carriers, Roshel Senator armored vehicles, and L3Harris WESCAM imaging systems used for reconnaissance and target identification, to name but a few examples.
Between 2022 and 2025, Canada gave $6.5 billion in military aid to Ukraine. It also funded cybersecurity initiatives, budget support, and humanitarian programs, including efforts to help Ukrainians withstand Russia’s attacks on critical infrastructure during cold winters. At the end of 2025, Ottawa expanded its support further, with more military aid. It is cooperating with Ukraine on drone production, missile defense, and long-range firepower to help increase both countries' security needs and adapt to modern warfare.
Canada is also a part of the PURL initiative, which is a way to purchase American-made military equipment. They had contributed $830 million by May 2026 to help Ukraine acquire the air defenses needed to protect civilians. To Canada's benefit, they have invested in manufacturing drones within their own country. This bolsters the Canadian defense industry and both countries’ security, showing how assisting Ukraine helps benefit overall defensive capabilities.
Non-government assistance to Ukraine
Many aid organizations have stepped up to help Ukraine, from the Canadian Red Cross providing humanitarian assistance, the Canada Ukraine Foundation providing humanitarian and medical aid, or Mriya Aid assisting with demining and training Ukrainians in explosive ordnance removal.
One Canadian—Kaitlyn Darlene—has spent enough time in Ukraine’s frontline communities to see the realities of the war up close. Working with the humanitarian organization Ukrainian Patriot—which operates in Ukraine, Canada, and the US—she helps keep them providing support for humanitarian, psychological, and rebuilding needs.
"I've seen firsthand how deeply Canadians care about Ukraine," she says, stressing the funding and helping in humanitarian initiatives. "What stands out to me most is the response from ordinary Canadians. Communities across the country have raised funds, volunteered, sponsored families, and continued to advocate for Ukraine." Thanks to support for this organization and many others, many Ukrainians have received crucial assistance for their health and well-being.
Canadians living, volunteering, and fighting in Ukraine
Many volunteers have come to Ukraine to help, and some have even lost their lives. In 2023, Russians killed Anthony “Tonko” Ihnat while he was conducting a civilian needs assessment in Ivanivske, Donetsk Region. Many Canadians do valuable work to help both the military and civilian populations.
Some Canadians who call Ukraine home have helped with crucial military purposes, for example, "HURTz," a Canadian drone engineer working in Kyiv. He believes in helping Ukraine as a Canadian because “we have a long history of trying to defend culture from encroachment by a bigger neighbor.”
“Quebec language laws aim to protect French as the dominant language, so we are familiar with this issue where a larger culture across the border needs to be kept at bay. We sympathize with the Ukrainian people when they say their culture is under attack and being appropriated.”
It would be wrong to ignore those Canadians who took up arms and joined the International Legion or the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Some who lost their lives include Mandeep Singh, Patrick Mazerolle, Cole Zelenco, Nolan Victor Durie, among many others.
Many members of the Ukrainian diaspora, refugees, and migrants have taken up arms, leaving their lives in Canada behind. “Maple” from Azov International said to us, “I was born in Ukraine, but emigrated to Canada when I was young. When the full-scale invasion began, I felt like I needed to go home to defend my heritage.”
“Ukrainians didn't just adapt to Canada, they helped build it.”@KatherynWinnick is an actress, UNITED24 ambassador, and a proud Ukrainian-Canadian.
— UNITED24 (@U24_gov_ua) July 1, 2026
On this Canada Day, we honor Canadians on their special day, celebrate Canada, and recognize the generations of Ukrainians who… pic.twitter.com/QY4whk3Yho
Why do Canadians feel so much support for Ukraine?
There are many different reasons Canadians support Ukraine. For some, it is a case of shared values, a similarity of being next to a larger neighbor, or because of support for Ukrainians who have contributed significantly to Canada’s history. Many Ukrainians moved to Canada in the late 1800s and throughout the 20th century, becoming the largest diaspora in Canada and the largest population of Ukrainians in the western world outside of Ukraine itself. Since 2022, many Ukrainians have also made Canada their home.
Figaro, a Canadian member of the Omega team of the International Legion of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, told us, "I believe that the significantly large population of Ukrainian immigrants in Canada that has become part of our societal fabric deserves our help in their homeland. I believe this is NATO's fight far more than most Canadians realize."
Kaitlyn Kruk added that “Canada and Ukraine have a special relationship because it’s built on a real human connection. It’s more than politics—it’s about people, shared values, and the genuine desire to support one another, and that's where our diaspora comes from.”
HURTz also said that he sees a similarity with the struggles of Canada’s indigenous people and Ukrainians today: “In this war, Russians are the colonists and Ukrainians are the natives, so Canada needs to embrace the history of how its indigenous peoples fought and take a page from that book.” In 2022, many of the First Nations people showed solidarity with Ukraine at protests.
One member of Mriya Aid, Lubomyr Chabursky, emphasized that Canadians believe in justice, understand the risks of having a large, powerful neighbor nearby, and, as Prime Minister Mark Carney said, “Canada is a mosaic, not a melting pot, where cultures live side by side”. Lubomyr felt that the Revolution of Dignity shared a lot with Canada, as it was a mix of different people and cultures, unified. Ukraine, similarly, has multiple languages and cultures living together but sharing certain key values and a national identity. This has fostered a strong bond between the two countries.
These historical, political, and very human instincts have motivated many Canadians to support Ukraine. Ukrainians, in turn, remain deeply grateful for that solidarity. Today, the partnership is increasingly a two-way exchange. As Canada has helped Ukraine defend itself, Ukraine is now sharing hard-earned expertise and experience in drone warfare, Russian military capabilities, and modern security, strengthening Canada’s own defense and preparedness.
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