Canada pledges $56 million to German-led air defense initiative for Ukraine

Canada will contribute 76 million Canadian dollars ($56 million) to the German-led initiative for boosting Ukraine's air defenses, Canadian Defense Minister Bill Blair said on May 10.

"Through Canada's investment in Germany's Immediate Action on Air Defense Initiative, we are working together to provide Ukraine with the crucial air defense systems that it needs to protect its people," Blair said while hosting his German counterpart, Boris Pistorius, in Ottawa.

Berlin launched the initiative in April amid Kyiv's increasingly dire need for air defenses, facing heavy Russian aerial attacks against population centers and the energy grid.

During Pistorius's visit to Canada's capital, he and Blair discussed the cooperation between their countries within the NATO framework and the preparation for the upcoming alliance summit in Washington, DC.

The Canadian Defense Ministry said that contributions to Germany's initiative are only one of the ways the two countries aid Ukraine.

"Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members are currently deployed to Germany as part of the Security Assistance Group – Ukraine, which is helping to facilitate the transfer of aid to Ukraine, working to align future donations with Ukraine's needs, and planning for the immediate and longer-term training needs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces," the ministry's statement read.

Since February 2022, Canada has committed over $10 billion in aid to Ukraine, including $3 billion in defense assistance.

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