Canada is sending another $2 billion worth of military equipment to Ukraine as the war with Russia enters its fifth year.
Prime Minister Mark Carney made the announcement Tuesday. The package includes more than 400 armoured vehicles. Canada will send 66 new LAV-6 vehicles made by General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada and 383 Senator armoured patrol vehicles built by Roshel. The money will come from the new federal budget year starting April 1.
Carney also said Canada is placing new sanctions on people, companies and 100 oil tankers linked to Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet.” These ships help Russia sell oil while avoiding international sanctions. G7 countries, including Canada, have also lowered the price cap on Russian oil to limit the money Russia can earn from exports.
In addition, Canada is extending Operation Unifier — the Canadian military training mission that has trained about 47,000 Ukrainian soldiers since 2015 — for another three years.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia has not reached its goals in Ukraine and that new ceasefire talks involving Ukraine, Russia and the United States could happen soon. Tuesday marked four years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
According to the United Nations, more than 15,000 civilians have been killed since the war began. A U.S. think tank estimates hundreds of thousands of soldiers on both sides have been killed or injured.
So far, Canada has committed more than $25 billion in total aid to Ukraine since February 2022, including military, financial and humanitarian support. Defence Minister David McGuinty said the new equipment for Ukraine will not take away from Canada’s own military needs.
