Harper arrives in Ukraine

KYIV— Stephen Harper arrived in Kyiv early Saturday as Ukraine’s envoy urged the prime minister to push his fellow G7 leaders into a strong political stand against the latest Russian aggression.

But Marko Shevchenko, Ukraine chargé d’affaires to Canada, said his country can make do without weapons from the West as he heaped effusive praise on the Canadian efforts to train its military.

Shevchenko said more sanctions would be one measure that Harper and his fellow G7 leaders might come up with in response to Russia’s latest provocation. But he said it isn’t necessary for Canada or its allies to provide military aid to Ukraine forces.

Five Ukrainian troops were killed Wednesday in a violent outbreak that witnesses say involved the deployment of heavy artillery on the Russian side — an apparent violation of the earlier Minsk ceasefire agreement between the two countries.