United to win: Canada commits $44 mln for defense assistance to Ukraine
Canada will allocate 60 million Canadian dollars (about 44 million US dollars) for Ukraine's defense.
The Canadian Minister of National Defense, Bill Blair, stated this at the Ramstein meeting.
According to him, Canada will make a new contribution of $60 million to the Air Force Capacity Building Coalition of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG).
Blair noted that this contribution will support the creation of a sustainable potential for F-16 fighters in Ukraine. In particular, the funds will help ensure the supply of vital materials and equipment for the F-16, such as spare parts, weapon stations, avionics, and ammunition.
"And this is in addition to the support we have already provided for developing the Ukrainian F-16 potential," he said before the Ramstein meeting.
Blair stressed that Canada provides instructors, aircraft, and support personnel for training Ukrainian Air Force pilots in cooperation with Denmark and France.
"This training will continue from this month to next year. More than 30 Ukrainian F-16 pilots are also undergoing language training at the language school of the Canadian Armed Forces," the minister noted.
According to him, starting from February 2022, Canada allocated more than 2.4 billion dollars for military aid to Ukraine.
"And we will support Ukraine as long as necessary. In addition, since 2015, Canadian military personnel have trained more than 40,000 Ukrainian military personnel as part of Operation Unifier," Blair said.
For reference:
UDCG(also known as the Ramstein group) consists of 54 countries (including all 31 NATO member states and 23 other countries) that have come together to support Ukraine's defense in light of the 2022 Russian invasion. The group holds monthly meetings to coordinate the ongoing provision of military aid.
The first meeting, attended by 41 countries, was held on April 26, 2022.
As Rubryka reported, on February 14, United States Defense Minister Lloyd Austin opened the 19th meeting of the Contact Group on Defense of Ukraine in the Rammstein format. According to him, the participants will discuss the need to supply more artillery ammunition and anti-aircraft missiles for the Armed Forces.
