Canada Pledges Additional $500M in Military Aid as NATO Supports Ukraine

Canada has announced plans to commit an additional $500 million in military assistance to Ukraine this year, as revealed by the federal government during the NATO Summit.

This announcement on late Wednesday came after a day where the 32-member alliance faced intense political pressure from the ongoing conflict. NATO reassured support for Ukraine, stating in its official declaration that the Eastern European country is on an “irreversible” path to membership.

The additional funds are in addition to the projected $4 billion in arms and munitions that Canada has already pledged and donated. This decision followed a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Washington summit.

Most of the funding will contribute to a NATO-led €40 billion initiative, aimed at providing Ukraine with consistent financing and predictable military support.

Canada also announced an expansion in the training of Ukrainian pilots learning to fly western warplanes. Previously, the federal government had committed tens of millions towards training, but a senior federal official stated that Canada will now play a more active role in instruction, some of which has been led by the private sector.

Last winter, Defence Minister Bill Blair committed $75 million, including $15 million for civilian pilot instructors from Montreal-based Top Aces Inc. The U.S., the Netherlands, and Denmark also announced that the first NATO-provided F-16s would be in Ukrainian hands by this summer.

While Canada does not operate the U.S.-manufactured F-16, Top Aces uses them for a wide range of fighter jet instruction. Zelenskyy expressed appreciation on X for the effort to strengthen his air force, following one of the deadliest strikes of the war.

Behind closed doors, allies debated for weeks about the language of the summit declaration regarding Ukraine’s membership. Some countries, including the U.S., opposed granting membership during the conflict with Russia to avoid further escalation. They also emphasized that Ukraine must address corruption and implement systemic reforms.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg stated that Ukraine will not join the alliance immediately, but it must happen after the war to prevent future attacks by Russia. He clarified that NATO’s assistance aims to end the war as soon as possible, not prolong it.