Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced last Friday that his country will contribute 500 million euros to the European Union’s planned 90 billion euro loan for Ukraine, APA reports.
“As for the loan for Ukraine… 500 million euros will be our initial contribution. This is a very important and effective mechanism, and I truly commend the initiative of European Commission President von der Leyen, the members of the Commission, and President Costa in establishing it—using frozen assets to provide Ukraine with much-needed financing,” Carney stated during a joint press conference with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa.
The Canadian Prime Minister noted that his country’s contribution is an example of the implementation of Canada’s recently announced partnership with the European Union, adding that it is a “positive alliance.”
The Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies (CIUS) at the University of Alberta is celebrating its 50th anniversary. During this time, the institute has awarded at least 1,742 research honors, grants, and scholarships. Of these, 883—or about 51%—were awarded to Ukrainian scholars and institutions.
To mark the anniversary, the institute will host an international symposium titled “Recentring the Humanities: Ukraine and the World” (Recentring the Humanities: Ukraine and the World). It will take place October 28–30, 2026, in Edmonton, with the option to participate online upon prior registration.
Among the confirmed participants are Oleksandra Matviychuk, director of the Center for Civil Liberties; Refat Chubarov, chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People; historians Serhii Plokhy and Yaroslav Hrytsak; philosopher Volodymyr Yermolenko; and Metropolitan Borys Gudziak.
Participants will discuss how Ukraine’s experience—particularly its resistance to Russian aggression—is shaping international debates on history, human rights, democracy, and cultural identity.
A highlight of the symposium will be a lecture by Metropolitan Boris Gudziak titled “The World Has Never Been So Ukrainian: Challenges and Opportunities for the Global Ukrainian Community.” It will take place on October 28 at the Horowitz Theater at the University of Alberta to mark the 25th anniversary of the Bohdan Bociurkiw Memorial Lecture Series.
The program will be complemented by exhibitions on the history of the Ukrainian Canadian Institute of Studies (UCIS), the connection between George Orwell’s work and the Holodomor, and childhood on the Canadian prairies in the 1930s.
The symposium will open on October 28 at the University of Alberta. The main discussions on October 29–30 will take place at the Edmonton Convention Center.
The CIUS’s contribution to the development of Ukrainian humanities cannot be overstated: the CIUS currently comprises 11 research centers and programs. They study the Holodomor, medieval and early modern Ukrainian history, contemporary social processes, the Ukrainian language and methods of teaching it, as well as the history of Ukrainians in Canada and other countries.
One of the key areas of focus concerns the history of Ukrainian statehood. The Petro Yatsyk Center for Ukrainian Historical Studies, led by historian Frank Sysyn, is working on fundamental historical projects. The Institute also supports research on Baturyn, the former capital of the Hetmanate, as well as the publication and preservation of its historical heritage.
Crimean Tatar studies constitute a separate area of focus. Over the past two years, the KIUS has allocated more than half a million Canadian dollars—from its own funds and external grants—to their development. This work helps to present the history of Crimea through the lens of the peninsula’s indigenous people and to counter Russian imperial interpretations.
Among the institute’s long-term projects is the English-language Internet Encyclopedia of Ukraine. It provides an international audience with scholarly, verified information on Ukrainian history, culture, and society. Through the Petro Yatsyk Program for the Study of Contemporary Ukraine and other academic initiatives, KIUS supports Ukrainian researchers, their publications, and international scholarly exchanges.
History and Interesting Facts
KIUS was founded in 1976 with the support of the provincial government, the University of Alberta, and the active participation of the Ukrainian community in Canada. Its mission is to study the history, language, culture, and society of Ukraine, as well as the Ukrainian experience beyond its borders.
The institute made its first payment to an institution in Ukraine in 1987–1988. The Central Scientific Library in Kyiv received $1,000 for catalogs of its newspaper collections.
As early as 1989–1990, the KIUS hosted nearly 100 scholars from Ukraine. The Institute became one of the hubs through which Ukrainian researchers established contacts with the academic community in North America. As early as 1989–1990, the KIUS hosted nearly 100 scholars from Ukraine. The Institute became one of the hubs through which Ukrainian researchers established contacts with the North American academic community. After 1990, Ukraine accounted for approximately 60% of all the Institute’s research awards, grants, and scholarships.
Cooperation also encompassed legislative reforms and the development of democratic institutions. Through the KIUS, a legislative project worth 4 million Canadian dollars was implemented from 1996 to 2000, and the CULIP program, worth approximately 4 million, was carried out from 2000 to 2003. A significant portion of the funding for both initiatives was provided by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). Other areas of support included the Petro Yatsyk Program in Lviv, worth 1 million Canadian dollars, and a project to ensure the transparency of the 2004 elections, worth 250,000 Canadian dollars.
Natalia Hanenko-Friesen, Director of the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies, and Serhiy Tsipko, Deputy Director for Research, gave a tour of the exhibition dedicated to the 50th anniversary of CIUS to Bill Flanagan, President of the University of Alberta
Natalia Hanenko-Friesen, Director of the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies, leads a tour of the exhibition dedicated to the 50th anniversary of CIUS for Bill Flanagan, President of the University of Alberta.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced the launch of a bilateral strategic partnership aimed at developing cooperation in the energy, defense, and economic sectors.
“Today, President Erdoğan and I launched the new Canada-Turkey Strategic Partnership to create significant new opportunities for our peoples,” Carney wrote on social media platform X on Thursday.
According to him, the cooperation will cover the energy sector, the extractive industries, climate initiatives, as well as security and defense issues. “We are deepening our ties to counter common threats and open new markets for our workers and businesses. This is an ambitious partnership for a safer and more prosperous future,” the Canadian prime minister emphasized.
Ukraine has close trade and economic ties with both countries: the Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement (CUFTA) has been in effect since 2017 (with subsequent updates), while the free trade agreement with Turkey officially entered into force in 2026, significantly expanding access for Ukrainian goods to the markets of both strategic partners.
U.S. President Donald Trump again stated that Canada could eventually become the 51st U.S. state, linking this to trade relations between the two countries.
He made this statement on October 14 during a campaign rally in Bullhead City, Arizona.
“Eventually, they’ll become the 51st state, because that’s the only way it works. We don’t need them, but they need us. And why should we lose $80 billion, $90 billion, $100 billion a year to support a country that isn’t part of us?” Trump said.
Prior to this, the U.S. president accused Canada of pursuing a harsh tariff policy and stated that Canadian automakers are moving production to the U.S. to avoid American tariffs. After mentioning the possibility of making Canada the 51st state, Trump also drew a parallel with Greenland.
However, the $80–100 billion figure he cited does not correspond to official data on the trade balance between the two countries. According to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, in 2025, the U.S. trade deficit in goods with Canada stood at $48.3 billion. At the same time, the U.S. had a trade surplus in services with Canada of $27.7 billion. Total trade in goods and services between the two countries was estimated at $872.3 billion.
Trump repeatedly returned to the idea of making Canada a U.S. state after his return to the White House. In May 2025, during a meeting in Washington, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stated outright that the country was “not for sale” and would never be sold. In response, Trump said at the time, “Never say never.”
The U.S. remains Canada’s main trading partner. According to the USTR, more than three-quarters of Canadian merchandise exports go to the U.S. market, while nearly half of Canada’s imports come from the U.S. The economies of the two countries are particularly closely linked in the automotive industry, the energy sector, and cross-border supply chains.
Canada has the highest balance of positive and negative attitudes among Ukrainians—not only among the countries represented in the Americas and Australia, but also among all countries covered by the study: in August 2026, it stood at 73.8 percentage points. Australia scored 61.6 percentage points, the U.S. — 38.4 percentage points, and Brazil — 19.4 percentage points. These findings are based on the results of the third wave of the study “Ukrainians’ Attitudes Toward Countries Around the World,” conducted by Active Group in collaboration with Experts Club, according to the Experts Club Information and Analytical Center.
Canada is viewed positively by 76.3% of Ukrainians surveyed, negatively by only 2.5%, neutrally by 19.2%, and another 2% were undecided. As a result, the balance of positive and negative assessments stands at 73.8 percentage points—the highest value among Ukraine’s 50 largest trading partners included in the study.
Australia ranks second in this regional group: 63.8% of respondents expressed a positive attitude toward it, 32.1% were neutral, only 2.2% were negative, and another 2% were undecided. The balance of positive and negative assessments stands at 61.6 percentage points, which also indicates a predominantly positive perception of the country among the Ukrainian audience.
Fifty-five percent of respondents view the U.S. positively, 16.6% negatively, 25.6% neutrally, and another 2.7% were unable to answer. The balance stands at 38.4 percentage points. At the same time, this figure has improved significantly compared to the previous survey wave: in March 2026, the figure was 19.4 percentage points, while in August 2025, it was 32.3 percentage points. Thus, over the course of five months, the balance of attitudes toward the U.S. has increased by 19 percentage points.
Brazil is viewed much more neutrally. Twenty-eight percent of Ukrainians expressed a positive attitude, while 59.7% chose a neutral response, 8.6% expressed a negative attitude, and another 3.7% were undecided. The balance of positive and negative assessments stands at 19.4 percentage points, compared to 21 percentage points in March 2026 and 12 percentage points in August 2025.
Thus, the data reveal significant differences within the group: Canada and Australia are characterized by a high level of established positive attitudes; in the U.S., positive assessments also predominate and have increased noticeably compared to March, while a neutral stance dominates regarding Brazil. Overall, Canada tops the entire ranking of the surveyed countries with a balance of +73.8 percentage points
Maksym Urakin, founder of the Experts Club Information and Analytical Center, deputy director of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency, and candidate of economic sciences, emphasized the need for systematic communication between foreign countries and Ukrainian society.
The survey was conducted in August 2026 using self-administered online questionnaires in the SunFlowerSociology panel among 800 Ukrainian citizens aged 18 and older. According to the organizers, the sample is representative in terms of age, gender, and region; the maximum theoretical statistical margin of error for indicators at the 50% confidence level is ±3.5 percentage points. This is the third wave of the study, following surveys conducted in August 2025 and March 2026.
ACTIVE GROUP, AMERICA, AUSTRALIA, BRAZIL, CANADA, EXPERTS CLUB, PUBLIC OPINION, SOCIOLOGY, the U.S., UKRAINE, URAKIN
Canada ranked first among countries with the highest net positive sentiment among Ukrainians—in August 2026, this figure stood at 73.8 percentage points. The top ten also included mainly countries from Northern and Western Europe, according to the results of the third wave of the study “Ukrainians’ Attitudes Toward Countries Around the World,” conducted by Active Group in collaboration with Experts Club, reports the Experts Club Information and Analytical Center.
Sweden took second place in terms of the balance of trust and distrust with a score of 70.6 percentage points, while the Netherlands came in third with 69.7 percentage points. Finland and Norway each scored 69.3 points, France scored 69.1 points, Italy scored 67.1 points, and Lithuania scored 65.9 points. Rounding out the top ten are Switzerland and the United Kingdom, which both scored 65.6 percentage points.
The sentiment score is calculated as the difference between the proportion of positive and negative ratings. Specifically, 76.3% of respondents view Canada positively, 2.5% negatively, and 19.2% neutrally. Thus, Canada’s high score is due not only to a significant proportion of favorable ratings but also to a minimal level of negative sentiment.
The survey results show that the top ten countries with the most favorable balance of attitudes consist almost entirely of countries in Northern and Western Europe, along with Canada. At the same time, the level of public favor does not always directly correspond to the scale of Ukraine’s trade and economic ties with a specific country. For example, China was Ukraine’s largest trading partner in the first half of 2026, yet it received the lowest balance of positive and negative assessments—minus 25.4 percentage points.
Maksym Urakin, founder of Experts Club, deputy director of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency, and candidate of economic sciences, emphasized that studies of public perception should be considered alongside actual foreign trade indicators.
“That is why it is very important for us to analyze our main partners. We must be open to questions and inquiries from the media and the public,” Urakin noted. According to him, the results of sociological surveys can be used to assess international relations and their further development.
Alexander Pozniy, Director of Active Group, drew attention to the need to combine the creation of a positive image of countries with the practical development of bilateral economic ties.
“We should focus on developing more than just general awareness. We need to expand cooperation with countries where we can achieve a positive balance,” Pozniy noted. According to him, both government agencies and business associations should be involved in this process.
The survey was conducted in August 2026 using self-administered online questionnaires via the SunFlowerSociology panel. A total of 800 Ukrainian citizens aged 18 and older were surveyed. According to the organizers, the sample is representative in terms of age, gender, and region; the maximum theoretical statistical margin of error at a 95% confidence level is 3.5%. This is the third wave of the survey, following surveys conducted in August 2025 and March 2026.
ACTIVE GROUP, CANADA, EXPERTS CLUB, FINLAND, international relations, NORWAY, SOCIOLOGY, SWEDEN, THE NETHERLANDS, UKRAINE, URAKIN
