Ukraine Will Make NATO Stronger
Experts Call for Decisive Support at Toronto Conference on Security and Demining Ukraine
“Ukraine will not just be a beneficiary, but a powerful contributor to the security of the Alliance. Ukraine will make NATO stronger.”
Oleksandra Matviichuk, 2022 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
With this message, Oleksandra Matviichuk opened the international conference "Safeguarding Ukraine’s Future: Security Guarantees and Demining for Recovery and Reconstruction", held in Toronto on May 31, 2025.
The conference brought together over 150 participants - a broad coalition of voices from the diplomatic, political, business, academic, defence and civil society sectors. Ambassadors Kovaliv (UA) and Meilūnas (Lithuania) and their colleagues from other Embassies & Consulates, military leaders including LTG (Ret’d) Ben Hodges, senior public servants and business leaders like Zenon Potichny (Canada-Ukraine Chamber of Commerce), Roman Shimonov (Roshel Inc.), Roman Kachur (World Bank Group) academics and SMEs such as Dr. Alexander Lanoszka and Dr. Balkan Devlen, Canadian and international NGOs & Ukrainian community organizations including the Temerty Foundation, Kathryn E. Langley Hope, the Peterson Literary Fund, Ukrainian Credit Union, BCU Financial and the Canada-Ukraine Foundation, journalists and students joined the conversation, united in their commitment in supporting Ukraine and strengthening transatlantic security.
Mriya Aid was proud to co-organize this successful event with the NATO Association of Canada in partnership with the Canada-Ukraine Chamber of Commerce, the Embassy and Consulate General of Ukraine in Canada, and the Munk School of Global Affairs.
The event emphasized one clear message: Ukraine’s success is central to global peace and security.
Renowned journalist and best-selling author Diane Francis delivered the keynote speech, reminding participants that Ukraine is not simply a recipient of international aid but a driver of security, innovation, and democratic renewal. Francis was the first Western journalist in Ukraine after independence, launching an English-language newspaper there in the early 1990s. She recognized Ukraine’s potential early on, calling it the “Silicon Valley of the Soviet Union” for its concentration of scientists, engineers, and technological talent.
The first panel of the conference discussed Ukraine’s prospects for NATO membership and explored additional security guarantees as well as increased investment in Ukraine’s defence capabilities. The second panel focused on the important interrelationship of investment, innovation, and security policy.
The third panel, moderated by Mriya Aid’s Lesya Granger (CEO and Chair) highlighted why mine action is essential for Ukraine’s recovery - not after the war, but right now. Links to video recordings for each panel and a link to a longer summary of the conference can be found at the end of this article.
Our demining panel brought together diverse perspectives: Ambassador Egidijus Meilūnas (Lithuania), Yulia Koba (Global Affairs Canada), Alexander Landry (former CAF & NATO), Tymur Pistriuha (Ukrainian Deminers Association), and Markian Kchik (UNOPS).
Speakers stressed that Ukrainians are not just clearing mines - they’re developing new approaches and gaining unsurpassed levels of expertise. From drones to AI-triggered devices, modern explosive threats are changing fast, and Ukraine is adapting in real time. Lesya Granger has shared insights from her recent three-week visit to Ukraine in April–May 2025 with the Mriya Aid team to work alongside national agencies building support and an ecosystem for fast, safe, and scalable demining.
Ambassador Meilūnas spoke about growing international support through the International Demining Capability Coalition, which now includes 23 countries and has already delivered over €473 million in aid. Lithuania alone has contributed more than 1.5 percent of its GDP to support Ukraine. Mriya Aid was invited to partner with the Coalition in October 2024.
Yulia Koba from GAC (Canada’s department of foreign affairs) reaffirmed Canada’s long-term commitment: over 88 million dollars has already been invested in mine action in Ukraine since 2022 - from humanitarian clearance and risk education to frontline equipment and training. Mriya Aid’s projects supporting mine action in Ukraine were acknowledged, as we have organized and provided funding to train over 250 Ukrainian sappers to IMAS in EOD, to equip over 150 of them, to provide 3000 mine identification manuals and almost 200 personal drone detector devices.
Alexander Landry who in 2018 was deployed to Ukraine as an OpUNIFIER Engineer Team Leader to deliver explosive threat awareness training warned that today's mines are smarter, more precise, and harder to detect - but Ukraine is rising to the challenge. Markian Kchik and Tymur Pistriuha who both work on the ground in Ukraine shared how Ukraine has scaled up its certified demining capacity, building a system that includes both state agencies and independent operators.
Our speakers’ message was clear: demining creates conditions for Ukrainians to rebuild their lives, their homes, and their futures.
A key element of the conference was a hands-on exhibit organized by Mriya Aid Director Mark Paine and Med-Eng, a Canadian company and leading global manufacturer of specialized protective equipment and demining tools. Due to the company’s focus on the highest engineering standards, Med-Eng products are known across the globe as the gold standard and top quality EOD gear available.
Participants had the rare opportunity to touch and feel pieces shrapnel of the explosive remnants of war from sites in Ukraine, and to hear directly from Mark Paine about just how complex and dangerous mine clearance is. Mark, our in-house EOD SME with IMAS EOD Level 3 completed, helped participants interpret the shrapnel they were seeing and holding in their hands: sharp, heavy fragments of metal that go flying in all directions at massive speeds when an explosive device detonates either in the field or above Ukrainian cities. Holding the shrapnel in your hands really brings home the devastating injuries and death that mines and munitions cause.
At Mriya Aid, we remain committed to supporting Ukraine’s brave deminers - to people clearing paths to safety, recovery, and peace. We continue to seek every opportunity to raise funds and advocate for the needs of Ukraine’s defenders who risk their lives every day to protect others - especially sappers with whom we work each day and who work to make Ukraine safe today and for generations to come.
Thank you for standing with them and with us. Your trust, generosity, and engagement power everything we do!
Together, we’re helping Ukraine to not only survive, but to rebuild stronger than ever.
In the coming weeks, we will share with our supporters the excellent news that, thanks to your generosity, in May we’ve supplied 100 Armed Forces of Ukraine frontline sappers and soldiers with personal drone detectors that save their lives. We are currently raising funds for the next batch of 100 of these life-saving detectors!
Panel 1: Securing the Foundation: NATO Membership and Intermediary Security Guarantees
Panel 2: Security Guarantees in Aciton: What Strong Security Agreements Means For Business in Ukraine and Canadian Investors
Panel 3: Securing the Ground: Demining Ukraine for Recovery and Reconstruction
Full report on Safeguarding Ukraine’s Future: Security Guarantees & Demining for Ukraine’s Recovery and Reconstruction: https://natoassociation.ca/safeguarding-ukraines-future-security-guarantees-demining-for-ukraines-recovery-reconstruction-conference/
