Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird says a third shipment of Canadian aid to Ukraine departs for Kyiv today aboard a CC-130J Hercules aircraft.
Speaking to the Chamber of Commerce in London, Ont., Baird says Canada's announcement last week of further support for Ukraine will help the eastern European nation secure and protect its eastern border.
Canada has been sending body armour, medical kits, helmets and surveillance technology to the Ukrainians.
Vladimir Putin continues his attempts to destabilize Ukraine's democratically elected government, Baird says, accusing the Russian leader of engaging in 19th-century behaviour that is unacceptable to Canada.
Baird is also defending Canada's economic sanctions against key Russian individuals and entities, even though retaliatory measures from Putin against Canadian food producers are expected to hammer Canada's pork industry.
Baird says Putin must be made to understand that his actions are unacceptable.