The new Canadian ambassador to Ukraine had a strange feeling that she had seen the same scenes before when she arrived in Kyiv last month.

Natalkа Komok saw many locals who had lost limbs, reminding her of working in Ukraine in the 1990s, when the newly independent state had thousands of soldiers returning from the Soviet-Afghan War.

In an interview on Friday from the Canadian embassy in Kyiv, Komok said, "Ukraine is really close to my heart, and I want it to succeed."

She arrived in the city on August 15, to begin a one-year term in a country she has lived in several times since its independence in 1991.

In just two weeks, she became familiar with the rhythm of air raid sirens, warning in a video call that she might need to take shelter suddenly.

Her mission consists of two parts, focusing short-term on supporting Ukraine's immediate defensive and security needs while facing all forms of Russian aggression. This often takes the form of meetings with her counterparts from the G7 countries in Kyiv.

The long-term focus is on helping Ukraine reach a point where it can join the military alliance of the European Union and NATO, by supporting reforms and reconstruction along with humanitarian aid.

Komok said her role is to coordinate those efforts across different fronts and ensure clarity between Ottawa and Kyiv.

In this context, Western allies have stated that Ukraine is making progress in its counteroffensive, which Komok described as a repetition of NATO military tactics to minimize loss of life. She said, "They retreat when they need to, unlike Russia, which resembles a meat grinder in some fights."

But Canada’s support for Ukraine goes beyond military assistance, with a vision to help build a greener and more democratic state.

Like many of its allies, Canada tends to rotate its diplomatic staff in August, and Komok said she hopes to have a full team of 22 diplomats by October.

Their duties will range from assessing demining projects to funding programs that can help women take on roles in politics and business left vacant by men sent to the front lines.

Her staff will also support ongoing efforts by Canadian nuclear safety experts to help their Ukrainian counterparts prevent the war from causing environmental and nuclear disasters at power plants.

She mentioned that Ukraine is getting a glimpse of the massive post-war reconstruction process in the Kherson region, which was flooded in June due to the destruction of a massive dam.

Countries like Canada are looking into how to help locals replace agricultural equipment and secure safe water and energy sources for the upcoming winter.

They are also providing technical assistance on how Ukraine can become a destination for private sector capital after the war.