Ukraine has received a major air defense package from Canada, as Ottawa announced an additional $900 million in military assistance.
The package was announced during a meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey on Tuesday, July 7.
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Speaking alongside Carney, Zelensky said securing additional air defense remains Ukraine’s top priority.
“Really, now maybe the biggest deficit is air defense. And we’ve got the big package from Canada. We are thankful for this,” Zelensky said, adding that additional components are still on their way.
Zelensky had appealed for more air defense missiles following a string of deadly Russian missile strikes on Kyiv, with Ukraine unable to intercept all 29 incoming Russian ballistic missiles on Monday in part due to a shortage of interceptors.
Beyond military assistance, Zelensky said Kyiv is also working with Canada on strengthening Ukraine’s energy sector ahead of winter.
“Today... we have not only air defense questions, not only weapons, but also the question of energy, which is a close priority,” he said, adding that the two sides would discuss three joint energy projects.
Carney reaffirmed Canada’s long-term commitment to Ukraine, saying Ottawa would continue supporting Kyiv “short, medium, and long term.”
“We’re going to talk about some very specific initiatives around air defense and continue to support through PURL and other initiatives,” he said, referring to NATO’s Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) program, through which allies purchase US-made weapons for Ukraine.
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The Canadian prime minister also said the $900 million package would be delivered in the coming months.
“Canada will be announcing about $900 million of support for medium-term military support,” Carney said.
The package will include vehicles, munitions and other military equipment, in addition to continued support for Ukraine’s air defenses.
He added that Canada would also continue assisting Ukraine’s energy sector to help the country prepare for winter while supporting its long-term reconstruction and economic integration with Europe.
Carney condemned Russia’s continued attacks against Ukraine, describing them as “barbarism,” and said they would not break either Ukraine or its allies.
“The resolve of the Ukrainian people, first and foremost, but also of your allies, of your friends, is absolute. It’s endless,” he said.
“The pressure on Russia is only going to increase. Ukraine is going to win.”
Carney concluded by expressing confidence that continued international support would help secure “peace, prosperity, security for all,” calling it the shared objective of Ukraine and its partners.
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