'Canadians are dying': Mark Carney's $2.5 billion aid to Ukraine draws backlash online

On Saturday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced an additional $2.5 billion in economic assistance for Ukraine. The move has been positioned as a part of the wider international efforts to support the war-torn country. Carney said the funding would help provide more international financing at a critical moment in the conflict, when speaking alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

As per a news release from the Prime Minister's Office, around $1.6 billion of the assistance will be delivered as loan guarantees to the World Bank’s International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The remaining funds will support International Monetary Fund lending to Ukraine, along with Canada participating in an "extended and expanded debt service suspension" for Kyiv.


The aid is followed after Zelenskyy's phone call with Carney on Friday and visit to Canada on Saturday. The Prime Minister's Office confirmed that the two world leaders met at around 1 pm AT on Saturday while Zelenskyy shared that he briefed Carney on Ukraine's diplomatic engagement with the US aimed at ending the war with Russia that began in February 2022.

Netizens are furious over Mark Carney

Since 2022, Canada has provided nearly $22 billion to Ukraine in aid and the most recent decision has not sat well with netizens who are furious over Carney for giving away the Canadian taxpayers' money to Ukraine in humongous amounts. Canada is now one of the largest contributors to what Zelenskyy describes as Ukraine's reconstruction and recovery plans.

"Insanity. While our own citizens are suffering. Pure insanity. Canadians first," wrote a social media user on X.

"Meanwhile untreated Canadians are dying in understaffed and painfully slow Emergency Rooms. Fund healthcare in Canada first," added another. Many wrote similar comments referencing the death of an Indian-origin man in Canada who died after an eight-hour wait at a hospital.

"It takes real skill to be this good at money laundering, and honestly I don’t think Pierre would have been up for the job Keep up the great work Carney, don’t even think about turning off that money printer," trolled one X user.

"I guess there are not any Canadians—not even one—who need any assistance? Obviously not since governments would NEVER prioritise aid to absolute strangers over help to their own citizens who are, after all, paying for it all through payment of taxes," wrote another.

As for Ukraine, Zelenskyy is set to meet US President Donald Trump on Sunday, where he plans to present a 20-point peace proposal. The decisions would focus on security guarantees for Ukraine and a possible economic agreement, the 47-year-old President detailed.