Zelenskyy pleads for more help from Canada

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered a passionate plea for a no-fly zone and more sanctions to starve out Russia's finances in a speech to the Canadian Parliament Tuesday.

Appearing by video link from Ukraine, Zelenskyy asked Canadians to imagine the terror and horror unfolding in his country as if it were happening in their own.

"Every night is a horrible night," he said, speaking in Ukrainian, to a crowded House of Commons where almost every MP, many senators and dozens of members of the public gathered to listen.

"We are not asking for much. We're asking for justice, for real support."

The Russian invasion is now in its 20th day and the death toll confirmed by the United Nations is now close to 700.

Zelenskyy said 97 of the dead are children.

In a speech lasting more than 20 minutes, he asked Canadians to imagine if Russian bombs were falling in cities like Vancouver, Edmonton or Toronto, or how it would feel if Canada's allies responded to a request for a no-fly zone with expressions of concern but also fear that it would escalate the war.

"Please close the sky, please close the airspace. Please stop the bombing. How many more cruise missiles have to fall on our cities before you make this happen?'" he asked.

Zelenskyy issued a similar plea for a no-fly zone in the British House of Commons March 8, and is expected to do so again Wednesday when he speaks to the United States Congress.

NATO countries, including Canada, have thus far resisted the request, fearing it would escalate the crisis by forcing NATO forces to come into direct combat with Russian military.

Speaking to reporters after the speech, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said Canada wants to support Ukraine to defend its airspace, without crossing the “red line” into international conflict.

She said Canada will do that with continued deliveries of lethal weapons, and strong sanctions.

“We need to do more, we will be doing more, my team and I are on it,” she said. “What we need to do, also, we need to continue, diplomatically speaking, to isolate Russia and put maximum pressure."

NATO defence ministers, including Canada's Anita Anand, will meet in Brussels Wednesday to discuss the Russian invasion. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg also said Tuesday a leaders' summit will now be held in Brussels March 24.

Trudeau’s staff confirmed he will attend in person. The White House said that Biden is also going.

Trudeau did not address the no-fly zone in his speech that welcomed Zelenskyy to Parliament. He thanked him for defending freedom, not just for Ukraine, but for everyone.

"In the years I've known you, I've always thought of you as a champion for democracy," Trudeau said. "And now, democracies around the world are lucky to have you as our champion."

The words prompted a lengthy standing ovation in the House and Zelenskyy, appearing on a large video screen, touched his hand to his heart to say thank you.

Zelenskyy, who three years ago said during a trip to Toronto that Trudeau had been among those who inspired him to enter politics, appealed not just to Canadians and MPs, but directly to the prime minister, whom he consistently called "Dear Justin."

He said Canada has always been a reliable partner for Ukraine, but the sanctions and other assistance provided so far have not ended the war. Ukraine, he said, needs to close the airspace, with NATO's help, to keep Russian aircraft and missiles from continuing to destroy the country.

Canada has previously worked to send weapons including guns, as well as protective gear to Ukraine. Last week it added $50 million in equipment including cameras for surveillance drones.

Canada has also sanctioned more than 900 Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian entities and individuals it says are enabling and supporting President Vladimir Putin's illegal war. Fifteen more Russians, mostly politicians and military leaders, were added to the list Tuesday morning just before Zelenskyy spoke.

As the Zelenskyy speech unfolded, Putin hit back by banning more than 300 Canadians from Russia, including Trudeau, Joly, Gen. Wayne Eyre, chief of defence staff, and more than 80 per cent of Canada's 338 MPs. Russia also banned many Americans, including President Joe Biden.

Joly said the ban was not a surprise and would have no bearing on Canada's response to the war.

Alexandra Chyczij, president of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, was among the Ukrainian Canadian leaders banned by Russia Tuesday. Following the speech, which she attended in person, Chyczij said Canada must do everything it can to help.

“Whatever it takes, whether it's ground-to-air missiles, whether it's a no-fly zone, whether it's a humanitarian corridor," she said. "There are many ways to fight this battle."

In the United States, some Republicans are leaning on Biden to support a no-fly zone. Following Zelenskyy's speech Tuesday in Canada, Conservative interim leader Candice Bergen and her caucus backed the idea as well.

"We must do more together with our allies to secure Ukraine's airspace," she said, prompting every Conservative MP, as well as some Liberals, to applaud.

"This is not just a war against Ukraine, it is a war against the free democratic world," she said. "We must stand with Ukraine. It is not a choice. It is a moral duty."

Bergen said at a minimum airspace must be protected over humanitarian corridors established to allow civilians to flee to safety or aid to reach areas that have been attacked.

Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet said Canada should help arm Ukraine more rapidly and more significantly to defend itself.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said it is impossible for Canadians to imagine their cities being bombed like Kyiv, Mariupol and Kharkiv have been, but Canada will be behind Ukraine "every step of the way."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 15, 2022.