Canada will purchase a US-made missile system for Ukraine.
Trudeau and Biden are hosted by Mexico for a meeting of North American leaders. On that occasion, Trudeau informed Biden of the purchase during separate discussions between the two to support Ukraine in its war with Russia.
Read: Canada reaches agreement to buy 88 F-35 stealth jets from the United States
“This is Canada’s first air defense system donation to Ukraine,” Defense Minister Anita Anand said on Twitter after the announcement.
Air defense systems are Ukraine’s top priority, his Ukrainian counterpart, Oleksii Reznikov, told him in a phone conversation earlier on Tuesday.
“NASAMS is a short to medium range ground-based air defense system that protects against drone, missile and aircraft attacks,” Anand said.
Read: Fleeing the content of the conversation, Xi Jinping pulverizes the PM of Canada
The contribution amounts to approximately $302.6 million and is in addition to what Canada pledged to Ukraine in November, according to a Defense Ministry statement.
“Trudeau and Biden also discussed their shared commitment to North American defense, including the acquisition of Canadian F-35 fighter jets for the Royal Canadian Air Force,” according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.
Canada on Monday finalized a deal to buy 88 F-35 fighter jets from U.S. defense firm Lockheed Martin Corp as part of a mammoth project to replace its aging fighter fleet.
(esn)
“Amateur problem solver. Hipster-friendly alcohol lover. Beer buff. Infuriatingly humble tv geek.”
