Eva Deschamps / January 12, 2023
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Tuesday the purchase of an air defense system from the United States for donation to Ukraine.
This is the first NASAMS anti-aircraft system that Canada is offering to Ukraine, said Ottawa, which estimates the value of this gift at 406 million Canadian dollars. The announcement was made after a bilateral meeting between Justin Trudeau and US President Joe Biden in Mexico City.
The defense system is intended to counter Russia's massive bombing of critical Ukrainian infrastructure.
This is the number one priority. That's why Canada is buying an advanced surface-to-air missile system from the United States to donate to Ukraine," explained Anita Anand, Canada's Defence Minister, after talks with her Ukrainian counterpart.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the gesture in the aftermath.
"Thank you for helping us protect our skies. The NASAMS that Canada has procured for us will be a strong shield for our cities and citizens," he assured on Twitter.
This missile system is in addition to the armour, howitzers, winter clothing and ammunition that Canada has provided to Ukraine to help repel the Russian invasion.