Daria Synelnykova

Daria is a Junior Research Fellow at the NATO Association of Canada. She works within the Security, Trade, and Economy program. Daria specializes in NATO countries’ trade with Russia post the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its implications for the strength of the Euro-Atlantic alliance. Daria is a rising third-year student at the University of Toronto, where she studies International Relations and Peace, Conflict and Justice. Daria also serves as a global health research assistant at the Factor Inwentash Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto. She has previously interned at the United Nations with the Office of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons.

Security, Trade and the Economy

NATO’s Defence Spending Surge Is a Smart Move – But Can Europe and Canada Keep Up?

In June 2025, during the NATO summit in The Hague, the alliance agreed to a massive increase in defence spending, committing to reach the 5% goal by 2035. This article examines why Canada and the EU must match their rhetoric with resolve and highlights effective avenues for achieving higher defence investment.

Previous Events

In Conversation with The Honourable Bill Blair and Lieutenant-Colonel Melanie Lake: Reflections on Canada’s Support for Ukraine

On July 11, 2025, the NATO Association of Canada, in partnership with the Ukrainian War Veterans Association of Canada and the Canadian Forces College Foundation, organized a discussion focused on Canada’s military support for Ukraine. This publication provides an event summary and reflects on the need for sustained support for Ukraine’s resistance to Russian aggression, alongside the importance of strengthening Canada’s own military capabilities.

Security, Trade and the Economy

Financing the enemy: The limits of NATO’s strategic decoupling from Russian fossil fuels

Despite vocally supporting Ukraine, between February 2022 and February 2025, NATO countries paid more to Russia for energy imports than they provided in aid to Ukraine. This article analyzes the limits of NATO’s strategic decoupling from Russian fossil fuels and proposes concrete steps the alliance as a whole, and Canada in particular, should take to tackle this problem.

Previous Events

A NATO Success Story: Kosovo’s Liberation and Post-Conflict Statebuilding

On June 18, the NATO Association of Canada (NAOC), in partnership with the Consulate General of the Republic of Kosovo in Toronto, organized an event marking the 26th anniversary of Kosovo’s Liberation. This publication features an event summary and reflects on the enduring significance of NATO’s successful mission in Kosovo.

Security, Trade and the Economy

The U.S.-Ukraine Mineral Deal: Economic Commitment and America’s Stake in the Euro-Atlantic Future

This article analyzes the U.S.-Ukraine mineral deal – a diplomatic success for Ukraine that nonetheless signals a transition to a more restrained U.S. approach to global defense. It argues that other NATO members must step up to safeguard collective security and work toward fostering mutually beneficial economic cooperation within the alliance.

Daria Synelnykova Security, Trade and the Economy

Playing the Cards Right: Ukraine’s Tech Edge is NATO’s Strategic Opportunity

Ukraine’s innovative technological defence sector is crucial in enabling resistance against Russian aggression. Its affordable, AI-powered, and battlefield-tested technology is redefining the future of warfare. Canada and other NATO members should foster partnerships with Ukrainian businesses to both provide economic resources for Ukraine’s war effort and to safeguard the competitiveness of their own defence industries