Zelensky latest in long list of world leaders to address Parliament, third Ukrainian president
CTV
When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addresses Parliament on Tuesday, he will be the third Ukrainian president to do so, joining a long list of world leaders and dignitaries to give a joint address to Canadian parliamentarians.
The address will be an opportunity for MPs, senators, and other special guests and government officials to hear directly from Zelensky in Ukraine on what that country is experiencing as it continues to defend itself from attacks ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Zelensky has garnered international accolades for his leadership in this moment, and continues to call on allied countries to offer his country further assistance, from military to humanitarian, while expressing thanks for the support offered to date.
He is not the first Ukrainian leader to come to Canadian policymakers with similar sentiments. His predecessor Petro Poroshenko delivered an address to Parliament on Sept. 17, 2014 as part of an official visit to Canada.
In that speech—punctuated by cheers and standing ovations—Poroshenko praised Canada for its support in the face of Russia’s military incursion in eastern Ukraine and its annexation of Crimea, and said that his country was “bleeding for its independence and its territorial integrity.”
