Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced new military assistance for war-torn Ukraine, according to a release issued by the Prime Minister’s Office on Monday.
The announcement was made in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv during the PM’s official visit.
Earlier at the G7 Summit held in June in Canada’s Kananaskis, a total of two billion Canadian dollars ($1.45 billion) was committed for Ukraine, Xinhua news agency reported.
Around 835 million Canadian dollars ($603 million) of the total are planned to procure a range of critical equipment for Ukraine, including armoured vehicles, medical equipment, spare parts, small arms, ammunition, and explosives, as well as additional drone capabilities and other urgently needed equipment and supplies for Ukraine, the release said.
Out of the total, 680 million Canadian dollars ($491 million) are for the purchase of military equipment sourced from the United States to strengthen Ukraine’s air defence capabilities and provide other urgently needed military assistance, the release said.
Around 220 million Canadian dollars ($159 million) will be used to purchase drone, counter-drone, and electronic warfare capabilities, including investments in joint ventures between Ukrainian and Canadian industry, it said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed Canada’s readiness to allocate $500 million under the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List initiative to help Ukraine procure US weapons.
He also proposed that Canada join major energy projects in Ukraine.
“We have the necessary port infrastructure and storage capacities. Ukrainian storage facilities can be used for the supply of Canadian gas,” Zelensky said.
He further expressed hope that Canada could play an active role in strengthening Ukraine’s security.
(With inputs from IANS)