Canada builds military power in Ukraine
The government provides funding and sends the military to resolve the conflict with Russia.
The Canadian government, represented by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Deputy Prime Minister Christie Freeland, as well as Defense Minister Anita Anand and Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly, announced $340 million CAD to extend and expand UNIFIER, a special operation conducted by the Canadian military in Ukraine. The task of the operation is to train Ukrainian servicemen and build up the country's military power.
The Canadians will continue to train the Ukrainian military until March 2025. There are now 200 Canadian military personnel in Ukraine and another 60 will join them, but there is a possibility of increasing the total number to 400. The Canadian Armed Forces will also work on intelligence and cybersecurity support measures for Ukraine.
The UNIFIER operation is coordinated with other countries: Denmark, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States. Since 2015, Canada has conducted more than 600 courses, training about 33,000 Ukrainian military and security professionals.
Canada will also provide $50 million CAD in humanitarian aid and additional support for Ukraine's security sector and will provide the country with non-lethal military equipment.
"Canada is determined to preserve global security and international order," Minister Joly said. — We will continue to work together with our allies and partners in support of Ukraine as Russian aggression continues.
The Canadian government states that it supports the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Ukraine and considers Russia's actions as aggression, but Canada is ready for a diplomatic dialogue.
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, who has Ukrainian roots, notes that Canada's policy toward Ukraine is determined not only by the long-standing cooperation between the countries, but also by Canada's national interest. The government sees the conflict between Ukraine and Russia as a confrontation between democracy and authoritarianism, in which they must support the democratic side, i.e. Ukraine.
Earlier, Anita Anand had talks with Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov, and Melanie Joly went to a meeting with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmygal and his deputy for European and Euro-Atlantic integration Olga Stefanishina.
