Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has spoken with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to reiterate Canada’s “unwavering” support in Ukraine’s defence against Russia’s invasion, as the two world leaders congratulated Finland on joining NATO.

Tuesday marks the 74th anniversary of NATO — the group of now-31 military allied countries — as Finland joins the ranks in the fastest accession ever to the alliance.

While the readout from the prime minister’s office doesn’t specify whether Trudeau and Zelenskyy discussed NATO or Finland, the two have separately issued messages of congratulations, with the latter tweeting: “NATO became the only effective security guarantee in the region amid Russian aggression.”

“We expect #NATOSummit in Vilnius will bring Ukraine closer to our Euro-Atlantic goal,” Zelenskyy also tweeted.

The foreign ministers from NATO’s member countries are currently meeting in Brussels, while the next NATO Summit of heads of state has been scheduled for July in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Roy Eriksson, Finland’s Ambassador to Canada, said on the Vassy Kapelos Show Tuesday Russia’s invasion of Ukraine showed the necessity for NATO and the alliance’s commitment to “common defence.”

“As (Finnish President Sauli Niinistö) said today in Brussels, the era of military non-alignment in our history has come to an end, and the new era has begun,” Eriksson said. “Putin’s attack on Ukraine certainly was the catalyst that put the wheels in motion in Finland.”

Zelenskyy also tweeted Tuesday about his call with Trudeau, and thanked Canada for the aid it's provided to Ukraine.

“The two leaders discussed Ukraine’s current needs, as well as Canada’s ongoing support and recent announcements, including military, financial, and humanitarian assistance,” according to a readout from Trudeau’s office. “President Zelenskyy welcomed these announcements, and expressed gratitude for Canada’s continued contributions to Ukraine’s security and stability.”

In a separate statement, Trudeau said Finland’s membership strengthens the alliance, and he also supports Sweden joining NATO.

Meanwhile, the occasion brought back into the fore. It has long faced calls to increase its defence spending to two per cent of its GDP, the agreed-upon target by NATO members as part of the Wales Summit Declaration in 2014.

According to the latest , released last month, Canada falls nearly to the back of the pack of NATO allies in its defence expenditures as percentage of GDP.

The topic was expected to be a major talking point between Trudeau and U.S. President Joe Biden during his first official visit to Ottawa last month. But just days after the presidential visit, the federal government tabled its 2023 budget, which featured little new defence spending.

“Canada is the sixth largest contributor in the world to NATO,” Trudeau said Tuesday. “Canada has continually been present and leading in NATO missions around the world, and we will continue to step up as necessary.”

The prime minister noted announcements to modernize Norad and purchase 88 new fighter jets as examples of defence spending commitments.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre on Tuesday accused the Liberal government of underfunding and mismanaging Canada’s military, but he did not say whether a government led by him would hit the two per cent target.

“Conservatives will unleash a powerful economy that can generate the funds for a growing military, and will take money from the back-office bureaucracy to put it on the front lines, in the hands of our soldiers, sailors, and air men and women,” Poilievre said.

With files from CTV’s Power Play chase producer Sophall Duch