Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly traveled to Ukraine on a two-day visit focusing on seeking the return of children kidnapped by Russia.

She said at a press conference on Friday in Kyiv: "Our support for Ukraine's independent future remains steadfast, and Ukraine's supporters will continue their march; we cannot afford to lose trust or hesitate, not even for a single moment."

Joly met on Friday with her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba, and she is also scheduled to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The Canadian government did not hint at any announcement of significant funding to increase the $9.7 billion that Ottawa has pledged to Ukraine through military, development, and immigration programs.

Instead, Joly launched an initiative with Ukraine seeking global help to pressure Russia to return thousands of Ukrainian children who were deported from conflict areas, violating international law.

The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin about a year ago, accusing him of forcing children in eastern Ukraine to be adopted by Russian families while attempting to strip them of any Ukrainian identity.

The new Canadian project aims to raise awareness of this issue and coordinate advocacy campaigns.

Joly said: "Canada will use its diplomatic network around the world to reach out, as if these were Canadian children," adding that diplomats will discuss this matter with a wide range of countries, including Mexico, Brazil, South Africa, and Qatar.

Ottawa also said it would provide any technical expertise Ukraine needs to help return the children, as fewer than 400 children have returned from Russia so far.

During the trip, Joly also plans to meet Ukrainians affected by the war, including children, as well as organizations supporting victims of sexual violence, gender-based violence, and war-related trauma.

Canada and its allies have pledged to support Ukraine "for as long as it takes," including support to contain the risk of Russian aggression after the conflict's final end.

However, popular support for Ukraine has waned in places like the United States amid ongoing inflation and the war in the Middle East.

Canada has not yet signed a formal bilateral security commitment to Ukraine, with ongoing negotiations for several months about the extent of Ottawa's commitment to helping secure the country.

Kuleba praised Ottawa's support, saying through a translator that "Canada is one of our closest friends," partly because it raises issues at G7 meetings.

He said negotiations on the security commitment are going well and are not hindered by diplomatic pleasantries. He said: "We can discuss matters, at their core, with complete sincerity and frankness."

Next month marks the tenth anniversary of Russia's invasion of Crimea and two years since Moscow began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.