Canada fund for Ukraine: German and Canadian defence ministers said on Friday that Canada will provide $76 million to a German-led effort to raise money for air defence systems that will be sent to Ukraine.
Following a joint meeting in Ottawa, German counterpart Boris Pistorius and Defence Minister Bill Blair signed a letter of intent for the contribution to Germany’s Immediate Action on Air Defence project.
By combining the funds and resources of several foreign partners, the project finds and deploys air defence systems to the battlefield fast.
Blair said, “This investment will help Ukraine defend itself against brutal attacks that have destroyed hospitals, power plants and apartment blocks and have killed thousands of innocent Ukrainians,”
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An official from Blair’s office verified to Global News that the money comes from the $1.6 billion in military assistance to Ukraine over a five-year period that was previously included in the most recent federal budget.
Pistorius announced that Ukraine will receive air defense systems purchased with the German funding “during the coming weeks.”
Blair pointed out that Canada would need several years to obtain the same air defence systems that Germany is buying and supplying through its fund.
As Russia increases its missile strikes on civilian and energy infrastructure, he said, he and Pistorius have received direct word from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that the Ukrainian army “urgently needs” air defence capabilities.
More than a year ago, Canada pledged $406 million to buy a National Advanced Surface to Air Missile System (NASAMS) and missiles from the United States; however, production delays have prevented the system’s delivery. Because of this, Canada has been compelled to support programs like Germany’s and a comparable one headed by Britain, to which Ottawa made a $33 million September contribution.
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Blair said, “What we have found is that (the procurement of new systems) is taking time, time that perhaps Ukraine may not have,”
When questioned Friday, Blair refused to give a revised delivery date for the American system.
Due to comparable delays in the artillery production process, Canada partnered with the Czech Republic to purchase current rounds from European stocks that could be quickly transported to Ukraine for $53 million. Blair said that delivering those same munitions domestically would take years as well.
