Tusk and Trudeau plegde continued efforts to help Ukraine and strengthen NATO

Speaking at a press conference held jointly with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and ahead of Hungary's parliament voting on Sweden's bid to join NATO, Donald Tusk said he would tell the same thing to Orban in person.

"There is no room, and there can be no room, in NATO and in the European Union for any doubt when it comes to the Russian Ukrainian war. If one is a member of NATO and the European Union, then by definition, by the nature of that membership, one must support Ukraine in its defence against the Russian onslaught," the Polish PM stressed.

"We must, not within the next few years, but within the next few months, acquire a defence capability, including the production of ammunition and of weapons of all kind, that will surpass Russian capabilities. Otherwise the West will become the next victim of Russian aggression and will not be able to help either Ukraine or itself," he added.

"There is no reason whatsoever why countries as rich as Western countries, as NATO member states, should not be able to build a defence capability together that surpasses Russian capabilities."

NATO's Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed later on Monday the Hungarian parliament's vote to ratify Sweden's membership in the treaty.

"Now that all Allies have approved, Sweden will become the 32nd NATO Ally. Sweden's membership will make us all stronger and safer," he said in post on social media platform X.

Hungary was the last among the 31 members of the alliance to clear the way for Sweden to join the Western defence alliance as war rages in Ukraine.

Hungary's vote ended months of delays to complete Sweden's security policy shift and followed a visit by Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on Friday during which the two countries signed an arms deal.

Sweden's NATO membership was supported by 188 lawmakers in Hungarian parliament, with 6 against and no abstentions.

Tusk also said that "ambiguous signals" coming from Budapest and Bratislava regarding Russia and President Vladimir Putin are a "paradox", as both countries were under the Soviet occupation.

"After all, we had identical experiences with the Soviet Union. Their tanks were in Budapest, in Warsaw, in Prague and in Slovakia, then Czechoslovakia. So I cannot find any reason why the countries of this region are unable to show solidarity as they once did, in resisting and supporting those who are fighting a regime that does not respect any of our common values," he noted.

Tusk will meet both Orban and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico on Tuesday (Feb.27) at a Visegrad Group meeting in Prague. After it, Tusk said, he would see if the group, consisting of Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Czech Republic, "still makes sense". "This meeting will explain a lot."

Talking about farmers protest in Poland, Tusk said that a solution needs to be found that works for both Polish farmers and Ukraine. Current situation is "unacceptable" for Polish farmers, said Tusk.

Justin Trudeau said Canada remains the seventh largest contributor to defense spending in NATO. "Since we took office in 2015 we've made commitments to increase our defense spending by 70%. We know there's more to do and we are doing it. We are purchasing 88 new F-35 fighter jets, we're investing in the modernization of NORAD, because we recognize that the Canadian Arctic is actually a new front for NATO in keeping our democracy safe, and we'll continue to step up," he explained.

The Canadian PM stressed, however, that there was still plenty of work ahead of the West. "The world is changing, it's getting more dangerous. I recognize Poland stepping up significantly in its own military spending, but so will Canada. We will continue to make sure that the women and men of the Canadian Armed Forces and the people around the world, our allies, who rely on them, will continue to get the equipment and the support they need."

"We all need to recommit ourselves to standing up, not just for Ukraine, but through standing up for Ukraine, to the very principles that make our countries strong and free. It is a time where citizens cannot take their democracies for granted, need to continue to be there, to lean in, not just on being worried about their daily challenges, which are significant everywhere around the world right now, but making sure we are building peace, stability and prosperity for future generations as well," Trudeau added.

And that means standing up unequivocally for the international rules based order, standing for democracy against authoritarianism, against illegal invasions of another country's sovereignty," he underscored.

The leaders of Canada and Italy signed security agreements with Ukraine on Saturday (Feb.24) after talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as Kyiv marked the second anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion.

Canada and Italy join Britain, Germany, France and Denmark in concluding 10-year security deals with Kyiv that are intended to shore up Ukraine's security until it can reach its aim of becoming a member of the NATO military alliance.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that Ottawa's support for Kyiv remained "unwavering" two years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion.

"Today, standing shoulder to shoulder with our allies and partners, Canada committed to further assistance, including military and humanitarian support, for Ukraine," he said.

Trudeau's office said Canada would provide more than 3 billion Canadian dollars ($2.22 billion) in financial and defence aid to Ukraine in 2024.