Anita Anand, the Minister of Defense for Canada, has said that her nation will buy a National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) from the US and gift it to Ukraine. Following Justin Trudeau’s meeting with Joe Biden, US President, in Mexico, Anand called the action ‘a high-priority gift’. Additionally, the Department of National Defense stated in a statement that this contribution would be ‘the first Canadian donation of an air defence system to Ukraine’.
A total of $500 million in new military aid to Kiev was announced by Ottawa in mid-November, and this funding, with a value of around $406 million, is part of that package. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, congratulated Trudeau in a tweet on Tuesday for demonstrating genuine leadership in the defence of democracy.
‘Respected @JustinTrudeau, your genuine leadership in defending democracy and human rights has been plainly proved again. We appreciate your assistance in preserving our skies. Canada’s acquisition of the NASAMS will serve as a solid defence for our cities and people’, he said in Ukrainian. In light of Russia’s onslaught on Ukraine’s military and energy infrastructure, Ottawa said the NASAMS system, which can take down missiles, drones, and jets, will strengthen Ukraine’s air defence. Early in October, in reaction to repeated sabotage on Russian land planned by Kiev, Moscow increased its attacks on these Ukrainian sites.
The Pentagon has promised to provide eight of these systems to Kiev, and Ukraine is already using NASAMS supplied by the United States. The US-made missile system was purchased by Canada for Ukraine, according to Oleg Stepanov, the Russian ambassador to Canada, who said that this was just another example of how Ottawa funds the Ukraine war despite several urgent internal problems.
Sputnik reported Stepanov as stating, ‘Prime Minister Trudeau’s cabinet funnelling money to fuel up conflict and assist an illegal regime thousand kilometres away from Canada seems ludicrous. In light of all the domestic issues Canada faces, this is particularly absurd. I just noticed something amusing while passing by. Naturally, the decision as to whether or not this approach is appropriate rests with the Canadians’, Stepanov continued.
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