Ukrainian President Poroshenko speaks during his meeting with people in the southern coastal town of Mariupol
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko speaks during his meeting with people in the southern coastal town of Mariupol September 8, 2014. Reuters/Vasily Fedosenko

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko visited Canada on Wednesday, where Prime Minister Stephen Harper committed to extend $200 million in loans assistance as well as additional humanitarian aid to enable the war-torn country foster immediate and necessary economic and financial reforms.

It was Mr Poroshenko's first official visit to Canada.

As expected, much of the atmosphere surrounding the visit of the Ukrainian President focused on Russia's incursions and aggressions, where he said in a speech on Parliament Hill that their country is currently really fighting hard for independence.

Comparing the first time Ukraine fought and gained its independence in the early 1990s, there was no single drop of blood shed that time, he said. But this is "not true anymore. Today, Ukraine is bleeding for its independence and its territorial integrity."

He said the decision to creating an alliance with Europe definitely resulted to dire results with Russia, but he stressed his country will rally on. "We have paid one of the most important prices for being European."

Canada recognized this struggle, and Mr Harper vowed to extend assistance, saying Canada recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

"And whether it takes five months or 50 years to liberate Ukraine, we will never, ever recognize the illegal Russian occupation of any Ukrainian territory."

Punctuated by cheers and standing ovations in Parliament, Mr Poroshenko said he will never hand over Ukraine to Russia.

At least 3,000 people have died in fighting since the tensions between Ukrainian government forces and Russian-backed separatists began in March 2014.

Canada announced it will provide additional humanitarian assistance to Ukraine to assist various international partners in providing medical support, food, safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene, shelter, emergency child protection, and emergency response and preparedness to help the estimated 3.9 million people living in areas affected by violence, as well as the nearly 200,000 individuals registered as internally displaced throughout Ukraine.

But the New Democratic Party of Canada, the country's opposition wing said Mr Harper should have been more concrete in the country's financial commitments to the war-torn country.

"Ukraine has been anxious to receive $200 million in desperately needed financial aid that the Conservatives promised over six months ago," the opposition said in a statement.