Canada has agreed to provide Ukraine with a C$350 million (about RM1.07 billion) package to acquire air defence interceptors, Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Thursday after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
The announcement comes as Kyiv faces a critical shortage of US-made Patriot interceptors, which are capable of intercepting Russian ballistic missiles, while Moscow continues to intensify its aerial attacks.
“As Russia escalates its barbaric aerial warfare indiscriminately targeting civilian populations, Ukraine’s air defences are critical,” Carney told reporters in Calgary.
“Earlier today Canada and Ukraine finalised an agreement to deliver critical air defence interceptors … this C$350 million equipment package will help protect Ukraine’s people, infrastructure, and skies,” he said.
Carney did not provide details on the type of interceptors to be supplied or when deliveries would begin.
The weapons will be provided through a US programme that enables third-party countries to quickly purchase and supply weapons, including Patriot missiles, to Ukraine.
Zelenskiy welcomed the package, saying it was of “the utmost importance, especially now”.
Canada has been one of Ukraine’s strongest international supporters since Russia launched its invasion in February 2022. It has committed more than C$25.5 billion in overall aid to Kyiv, including C$8.5 billion in military assistance.
Carney also said Canada planned to significantly increase drone production, with a goal of producing millions of units within the next two years. He said one-third of the drones produced would be sent to Ukraine.
Zelenskiy said Ukraine needed greater access to technology and funding to increase its drone production capacity and counter Russia’s large-scale attacks.
Canada is home to an estimated 1.3 million to 1.4 million people of Ukrainian descent, making it one of the countries with the world’s largest Ukrainian diasporas.
Under other agreements signed on Thursday, Canada will also provide nearly C$435 million (about RM1.33 billion) in new loan guarantees to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to support Ukraine’s energy security, particularly ahead of the winter months.
