Canada agrees on $320m air defence package for Ukraine as Zelensky visits

• Canada has agreed to provide a C$350 million (S$320 million) air defence package to Ukraine to acquire interceptors amid increased Russian missile attacks.
• The weapons will be supplied through a US programme, helping protect Ukraine’s people and infrastructure as Kyiv faces a shortage of Patriot interceptors.
• Canada plans to boost drone production, aiming to produce millions in two years, with a third allocated to Ukraine, alongside C$435 million in loan guarantees for Ukraine’s energy security.

CALGARY, Alberta - Canada has agreed a C$350 million (S$320 million) aid package for Kyiv to acquire air defence interceptors, Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Sept 10 after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Kyiv is running critically low on US-made Patriot interceptors capable of stopping Russia’s ballistic missiles at a time when Moscow is stepping up its 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.

He did not give details of which interceptors would be delivered or when the aid would start flowing.

The weapons will be provided through a US programme that allows third-party nations to quickly buy and supply weapons such as Patriot missiles to Ukraine.

“I thank you for this package. It’s of (the) utmost importance, especially now,” said Zelensky.

Canada, one of Ukraine’s most vocal defenders, has committed more than C$25.5 billion in overall aid since Russia invaded in February 2022, including C$8.5 billion in military assistance.

Carney also said Canada aimed to ramp up drone production to be able to produce millions of units within the next two years. A third of those would go to Ukraine, he said.

Zelensky said Ukraine needed more technology and funding to produce enough drones to fend off mass Russian attacks.

Canada is home to an estimated 1.3 to 1.4 million people of Ukrainian descent, forming one of the largest Ukrainian diasporas in the world.

As part of the deals signed on Sept 10, Canada will provide nearly C$435 million in new loan guarantees to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to support energy security in Ukraine, especially during the winter. REUTERS