Ottawa – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced that the $500 million five-year bonds issued by Canada in support of the Ukrainian government have all found buyers.

Trudeau confirmed the fundraising results at an event Wednesday morning, adding that the success was another demonstration of Canada’s unwavering support for Ukraine.

Dubbed the Ukraine Sovereignty Bond, this Canadian government-backed initiative was first announced last month.

The money from the bonds is expected to flow to Ukraine as a loan through the International Monetary Fund so that it can continue its basic operations.

The funds may not be used for deadly activities or related purchases, but for non-military purposes such as paying pensions and maintaining public services as the country continues to fight the Russian invasion as winter begins.

The exact terms of the agreement have to be negotiated between Kyiv and Ottawa.

The money raised will be in addition to aid already provided to Ukraine in the form of financial or military assistance by Canada. To date, Canada’s contribution is estimated at approximately $2 billion.

Canadian and foreign investors bought the bonds between Nov. 22 and Nov. 29, according to the Treasury Department. It was reported that Canadian individuals had donated $50 million, but the full breakdown of contributions was not released.

Additionally, Canadians who wish to participate in this initiative can still obtain bonds that will be sold in increments of $100 at various financial institutions.

The closing of the fundraiser comes as the NATO military alliance is also offering additional support to three states devastated by the fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine: Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Georgia.

This renewed NATO support follows a meeting in Brussels between the foreign ministers of these three countries and their NATO counterparts. They then discussed how the world’s largest security organization can help them in a context of political, energy and territorial insecurity.

After the talks, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance had agreed to help train the three countries’ militaries and build their security and defense institutions.

“If there is a lesson from Ukraine, it will help her now,” said Stoltenberg of the Bucharest parliament.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine was particularly painful for Moldova, Ukraine’s neighbor. In particular, it is suffering from a severe energy crisis due to its dependence on Russian energy.

In recent weeks, Moldova has suffered terrible power outages due to Russian strikes on Ukraine’s power grid. Russian missiles also crossed its skies and debris fell on its ground. Last April, explosions erupted in the breakaway region of Transnistria, where Moscow had stationed 1,500 troops.

On Wednesday, Jens Stoltenberg told the media that Bosnia and Herzegovina – long rocked by political instability, Russian interference and ethnic tensions – is “important for stability in the Western Balkans”.

Demonstrations erupted in the Serbian part of Bosnia and Herzegovina last month after voters claimed a pro-Russian political leader rigged the results of an election in the Republic of Srpska.

Bosnian Foreign Minister Bisera Turkovic admitted that her country was “very worried about the future” despite being in the process of forming a new government after the elections.

She said that the NATO presence is extremely important to ensure the security of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

As for Georgia, NATO has promised that, like Ukraine, it could one day join the alliance. We remember, however, that when that promise was first made 14 years ago, Russia quickly invaded Georgia.

Earlier this year, a breakaway Georgian region announced plans to hold a referendum to join Russia.

– With the Associated Press