TORONTO, July 2 - Canada and Ukraine have agreed to discuss expanding the existing free trade agreement between the two countries, according to a senior government official, CBC reported Tuesday.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy met today in Toronto. The two leaders struck an agreement to expand Canadian film and television access to Ukraine and declared a mutual interest in improving student exchanges and youth work permits between the two countries.

According to a statement released after the leaders' meeting, trade talks would build on the deal agreed to in 2015 between prime minister Stephen Harper and then-Ukrainian prime minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk and signed in 2016.

The government official said no date has been set for the start of trade talks but they're expected to happen "soon."

As the leaders took questions from the media after the meeting, Zelenskiy suggested that his government also had secured an agreement with Canada for the purchase of armoured vehicles.

"We also had an agreement with the prime minister and with Canada, and now we can discuss it very openly, yes, I guess there is an agreement about supply of armed vehicles to Ukraine," Zelenskiy said through a translator.

The government official said, however, that while both leaders discussed a number of issues, no agreement was signed that would see military vehicles shipped to Ukraine.

Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland was asked about the vehicles during a media availability with First Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine Stepan Kubiv later in the day. She declined to answer.

Kubiv replied to the question by expressing his country's appreciation for all the help Canada had given Ukraine, without mentioning armoured vehicles.

Freeland announced $45 million in new support for Ukraine, with $33 million going to support the country's governance reforms, to promote gender equality and to bring government services to Ukrainians in conflict-affected regions.

Canada also is giving $6.5 million to help Ukraine further develop its police force and will station up to 45 Canadian police advisers and trainers to serve in the country until 2021.

Trudeau said Canada will continue "to stand with Ukraine against Russian interference and aggression."

"In the wake of Russian aggression and attempts to undermine Ukraine's sovereignty, including the illegal annexation of Crimea, it's all the more important for countries like Canada to stand alongside its partner," Trudeau said.

"Russia's actions are not only a threat to Ukraine but to international law."

Canada has supplied Ukraine with $785 million in military, legal, financial, development and political assistance since 2014.

Freeland also said that Canada would refuse to recognize the legitimacy of Russian-issued passports for residents of Crimea, describing them as "another form of occupation."

"This is not about legitimate holders of Russian passports. Nor is this measure directed in any way to prevent people from living in occupied Donbass (in eastern Ukraine) from coming to Canada," she said.

"People who are citizens of Ukraine, which is the case for people living in occupied Donbass and Luhansk, are very welcome to apply for a visa to come visit Canada using their Ukrainian passport."

Zelenskiy is making his North American debut at the Ukraine Reform Conference in Toronto. The three-day conference will see representatives from 30 countries participating, as well as representatives from major international institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

Canada is home to 1.3 million people of Ukrainian descent, which makes it one of the country's most influential diaspora communities. That has big domestic political implications with the October federal election looming.

Freeland said Canada would continue to ensure Ukraine received help as it looked to build a more democratic government.

"Ukraine has Canada's full support as it continues to develop and implement the fundamental reforms that are needed for a secure, sovereign and prosperous future," she said. (cbc/ez)