Canada’s defence minister said the country will be purchasing military equipment from the United States in order to send it to Ukraine, with a value of $200 million.
Defence Minister David McGuinty said in a statement that the “package of critical military capabilities” will be sourced under NATO’s Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) in partnership with other NATO allies.
“By contributing to this PURL package in partnership with our Allies, we are ensuring Ukraine receives the advanced capabilities it urgently needs to defend its sovereignty and protect its people,” McGuinty said on Dec. 3.
The PURL initiative, launched in August, is meant to support Ukraine’s military needs in its war with Russia. Canada has contributed around $892 million to PURL, and $6.5 billion in overall military assistance since February 2022, and nearly $22 billion in overall funding to Ukraine since the start of the war.
At the meeting of NATO ministers of foreign affairs on Dec. 3 in Brussels, Belgium, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand also announced that Ottawa would provide $35 million in funding for NATO’s Comprehensive Assistance Package (CAP) for Ukraine.
“Canadastandsfirmly,shouldertoshoulder,withUkraineintheshortandthelongterm,” Anand said.
Canada has provided a total of $180 million to the CAP, which aims to enable Ukraine to purchase equipment like medical supplies and communications tools, invest in logistics support and long-term capacity building, and enhance its interoperability with NATO forces.
The Liberal government’s Budget 2025 also includes $6.2 billion over five years to expand the country’s defence partnerships, which includes expanded military assistance to Ukraine.
Peace Discussions
Ottawa’s latest announcement on support for Ukraine comes as U.S. President Donald Trump is continuing to push for an end to the war between Ukraine and Russia.
In August, Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska to discuss ending the Russia-Ukraine war, but the meeting ended early without an agreement being announced.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and several European leaders then met with Trump to discuss an end to the war. Trump said following the meeting that several countries could provide Ukraine with security guarantees, and that a trilateral meeting between himself, Zelenskyy, and Russian President Putin could soon be arranged.
