Canada allocates $33 million in aid to support Ukraine’s air defense.

Canada is becoming a new member of a three-month-old alliance involving several crucial allies, collaborating to provide air defense missiles to Ukraine. During his visit to the Lydd Military Training Camp, Defence Minister Bill Blair, currently in the United Kingdom, announced Canada’s commitment of $33 million to this effort.

This funding is part of the $500 million fund unveiled by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in June 2023 to support military assistance initiatives in Ukraine.

In that very month, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Netherlands, and the United States formed a coalition to supply Ukraine with hundreds of short- and medium-range air defense missiles, aimed at bolstering Ukraine’s defenses against potential Russian missile and drone threats.

For slightly over a year, members of the Canadian Armed Forces have been conducting training programs at Lydd, instructing approximately 2,600 Ukrainian recruits in various skills such as weapons handling, battlefield first aid, and patrol tactics.

Canada’s support for Ukraine has been substantial, with a total contribution of $8 billion over the past year and a half. This aid package encompasses $1.8 billion in military assistance, encompassing weaponry, ammunition, military vehicles, drone cameras, and winter clothing.