麻豆影视

Skip to main content

'Very surreal environment': Canada's ambassador in Ukraine outlines embassy's limitations

Share

Canada's Ambassador to Ukraine Larisa Galadza says that while she's back working at the embassy in Kyiv, the situation on the ground is still "very surreal," and that the limited staff present are focused on "face-to-face" diplomacy while most requests for assistance are being told to seek help online.

"There are boarded up windows. The government buildings are sandbagged. There are significant control posts on the roads, a heavily armed presence in the in the capital, and that makes for a very, very surreal environment," she said in an interview on 麻豆影视 Channel's Power Play.

While Galadza was joined by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, and Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly last weekend to mark the reopening of Canada's embassy, the services being offered are still very limited.

The ambassador said that for now, operating consular and immigration services out of Poland makes sense because if there is something that Canadian officials can help with, it's something border-related, such as passports. Otherwise, those looking for help in Kyiv, are being directed to online application forms and email addresses.

Asked what work she is doing at the embassy, Galadza said the limited diplomatic presence at the embassy is there "to do the diplomatic and political work that can only be done direct face-to-face with鈥 Ukrainian interlocutors, with Ukrainian civil society activists, with parliamentarians and ministers and that sort of thing."

Watch the full interview with Canada's ambassador in the video at the top of this article.

IN DEPTH

Opinion

opinion

opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike

When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Two nephews of the beloved Harry R. Hamilton share stories about his life and legacy.

Why brain aging can vary dramatically between people

Researchers are uncovering deeper insights into how the human brain ages and what factors may be tied to healthier cognitive aging, including exercising, avoiding tobacco, speaking a second language or even playing a musical instrument.

The union representing some 1,200 dockworkers at the Port of Montreal has overwhelmingly rejected a deal with their employers association.

Local Spotlight

For the second year in a row, the 鈥楪ift-a-Family鈥 campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.

Some of the most prolific photographers behind CTV Skywatch Pics of the Day use the medium for fun, therapy, and connection.

A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.

As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.

A group of women in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts 鈥 not for themselves, but for those in need.

A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.

Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.

A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.

Stay Connected