He said he spoke with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier in the day and "told him that Canada will soon be sending highly specialised equipment to them."

Canada had on February 14 already said it would deliver Can$7.8 million (5.5 million euros, US$6.1 million) worth of lethal equipment and ammunition, before adding another pledge of 25 million dollars in non-lethal protective gear.

Beyond equipping Ukraine, Trudeau said three million dollars will go towards tackling Russian disinformation about Ukraine.

"We need to stand up for truth and be vigilant against disinformation that tries to mislead us and more tries to divide us," he said.

Canada has joined Western allies in imposing tough sanctions on Russia, including a ban on Russian oil imports and direct embargoes targeting President Vladimir Putin.

Canada is home to a large Ukrainian diaspora of more than 1.3 million.