Canada is buying artillery ammunition and night vision equipment for Ukraine in its latest round of aid to the country.
Defense Minister Bill Blair met with the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, which is led by the United States and includes around 50 allied countries.
Canada plans to spend $40 million to send artillery munitions to Ukraine as part of a deal with the Czech Republic.
The Czechs said last month that they had 800,000 pieces of ammunition and needed the participation of other countries to help them get those munitions to the front lines.
Mr. Blair says night vision equipment worth $7.5 million comes from a Canadian company and will be sent to Ukrainian troops.
Canada’s military support for Ukraine reached $4 billion in the two years following Russia’s invasion of the country.
Ammunition from the Czechs includes 155mm rounds that Ukraine desperately needs, and Mr. Blair says he wants more production of this ammunition in Canada.
“The long-term vision is to significantly increase the production of munitions here in Canada, because I firmly believe that this production has a deterrent role,” he said.
Mr. Blair was unable to provide a specific date for the arrival in Ukraine of the surface-to-air missile defense system offered by Canada.
This system was purchased through the US government over a year ago, but it remains unclear when it will be produced and sent to the front lines.
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