A former Canadian military leader at the head of Ukrainian territorial defense

Retired Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) General and former Chief of Defense Staff Rick Hillier will take on the new responsibility, the Ukrainian World Congress said on Friday.

Other former commanders international military are also part of this new group which offers support to the territorial defense militia, made up of Ukrainian civilians.

“The men and women fighting this war are the sons and daughters of Ukraine,” Rick Hillier said in a statement. “Before Russia invaded their country, they were doctors, students, plumbers and merchants. Today, they stand on the front lines with the Ukrainian military, defending their homes and families.”

< p>General Hillier was recently present in Kyv where he met with Ukrainian troops, but also with defense and government officials.

“The Ukrainians have shown the world their resolve and their determination, but they need our support to succeed against a vicious Russian invader who is committed to destroying the Ukrainian people and the rules-based international order,” added Paul Grod, President of the Ukrainian World Congress.