Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced substantial new military assistance for Ukraine during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev on Sunday, reinforcing bilateral defense cooperation amid ongoing regional tensions.
At a joint press conference following the talks focused on security guarantees, energy collaboration, and defense support, Carney confirmed Canada's commitment of two billion Canadian dollars (1.45 billion U.S. dollars) in military funding previously pledged at June's G7 Summit.
The aid package includes 835 million Canadian dollars for armored vehicles, drones, medical supplies, ammunition, and other critical equipment; 680 million dollars to bolster Ukraine's air defense via U.S.-sourced arms; and 220 million dollars for joint Ukrainian-Canadian drone and electronic warfare projects. Zelensky welcomed Canada's allocation of 500 million U.S. dollars under the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative to accelerate U.S. weapons procurement.
The leaders signed a drone co-production agreement and an action plan implementing their bilateral security cooperation accord.
Zelensky further proposed Canadian participation in Ukrainian energy infrastructure projects, highlighting Ukraine's port and storage capacities for potential gas supply partnerships.
When questioned about troop deployment, Carney said that Canada is coordinating security guarantees "covering land, air, and sea" with allies and Ukraine through the "Coalition of the Willing," adding he "would not exclude the presence of troops."
His remarks contrast with the U.S. position, as the White House clarified earlier that Washington would not deploy ground forces to Ukraine while remaining "actively engaged" in security efforts.
Carney's visit coincided with Ukraine's Independence Day, with Zelensky praising Canada's "sincere support" as symbolically significant given its early recognition of Ukrainian sovereignty.
The talks concluded amid continued opposition from Russia, where Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reiterated last Thursday that foreign military presence in Ukraine is "unacceptable."
Canada pledges billions in military aid to Ukraine during PM's Kiev visit
