OTTAWA, Ont. — In a worrying moment for Ukraine support, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy won unanimous fanfare and backing in Canada on the last leg of his North America charm offensive.

He needs to shore up resolve from allies against doubts within the domestic political environment of its largest backer, the U.S., and neighboring Poland turns away from providing arms.

And his country is looking to Canada for help in its diplomatic push.

Appearing in his signature olive drab, Zelenskyy made his way to Ottawa after stops in New York and Washington to Ukraine’s biggest cheerleader and addressed a friendly Canadian Parliament — frequently interrupted by standing applause from all parties.

“This Russian aggression must end with our victory,” he said in English. “Moscow must lose once and for all.”

It paints a stark contrast from the U.S., where his appeals for support this week were met with resistance from dozens of Hill Republicans about whether America’s support — the latest, long-range missiles — is worth continuing.

That’s not a debate that exists in Canada, where 1.4 million people report Ukrainian roots, making the country home to the world’s second-largest Ukrainian diaspora after Russia. Those demographics make support for war defense efforts a domestic political priority for all parties.

“Can we give up? No!” Zelenskyy said. “Can we allow our identity to be erased? No!”

“Freedom will be the winner. Justice will be the winner.”

The last time Zelenskyy was in Canada, it was a different world. This is his first visit since 2019, before he was thrust into the role of wartime leader and when he was still an unknown commodity on the world stage.

But Russia’s war with Ukraine has been dragging out and is not expected to end any time soon.

Ukraine continues to need material, and financial and political support from its allies.

“This is a slug fest and they’re going through an enormous amount of ammunition and weapons and vehicles and other equipment,” said Roland Paris, international affairs professor at University of Ottawa who years ago worked as a foreign affairs adviser in the Trudeau administration.

“He understands that this is a war not just on the battlefield but one to sustain the coalition that has supported Ukraine — and he surely understands that Vladimir Putin is counting on a weakening of Western support and Western solidarity over time.”

Zelenskyy comes fresh off his push at the U.N. to shore up support.

He needs to convince world leaders they’re not just donating to charity but to mitigate a threat — that they’re backing a winner. And he needs to keep the steam going in his PR machine.

“The longer the war goes on, the more there’s a risk of ‘Ukraine fatigue’ in countries other than Ukraine,” said Yaroslav Baran, an Ottawa-based political consultant and member of the Canada-Ukraine Foundation’s board of directors. “It’s no longer breaking news. Zelenskyy needs to maintain our attention on the war if he’s going to maintain our support. He’s not going to win this war without international assistance.”

Zelenskyy, who has toured the front lines in his country’s war, comes to Canada at great personal risk and will even venture out of the tight security environment around Parliament Hill.

He’s leaving this evening on a trip with Trudeau to Toronto, a financial hub for Canadian businesses where there’s also a concentration of Ukrainian-Canadians. Fundraising and drumming up support will be a part of that tour.

Trudeau also announced details of more military support: C$650 million for armored vehicles made in Canada, and more Russian sanctions are expected to follow.

The country has committed more than C$1.5 billion in military aid to Ukraine since Russia’s February 2022 invasion and it ranks among the top 10 suppliers of military aid.

Before his address, Zelenskyy attended an extended bilateral meeting with Trudeau and senior Canadian officials such as Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland and Trade Minister Mary Ng.

But Ukraine looks to one of its more fervent backers for more than that.

Last month, Ukraine’s foreign affairs minister said Canada has the diplomatic muscle to gather a united and broad coalition of support.

Nick Taylor-Vaisey contributed to this report.