Joly ends Ukraine visit pledging support for war-crime tribunal, cash to local groups

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly has ended a two-day visit to Ukraine where she met with senior officials to assess Canada's response to Russia's invasion.

Ottawa tried to keep the visit under wraps for security reasons, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted a video Tuesday of his meeting with Joly.

Joly met with her Ukrainian counterpart, as well as the country's prime minister, top prosecutor and internal affairs minister to discuss Canada's military support and attempts to bring Russia to international tribunals for war crimes.

She also spoke with Ukraine's first lady Olena Zelenska about support for women experiencing sexual violence and announced $3 million for local groups working to stabilize the country.

Joly visited projects funded by Canada, such as a demining program run through the HALO Trust, and pledged "continued Canadian contributions" for removing mines.

Her office says that Canada will continue to help Ukrainians defend their freedom for as long as it takes to reach peace.