The light armor will come from the General Dynamic factory in London, Ontario. Parts needed for repairs and maintenance will be sent at the same time. Military drone cameras will come from Burlington, Ontario.
The light armored vehicles were initially intended for the Canadian Armed Forces, which will still receive their order later, as fast as possible
, said the Prime Minister. The same will apply to other equipment shipped to Ukrainians, such as howitzers and rifles.
« [Les Ukrainiens] pointed out to us how essential these cameras in the drones are for the work they do […]. They need armored vehicles to help with troop transport. »
The total bill for this equipment remains to be determined, a government source told Radio-Canada, but it might exceed $300 million. It will be financed with the envelope of 500 million dollars for support to Ukraine announced in the last federal budget.
The same source assures that the government’s announcement is more than symbolic and that the material sent to kyiv will have a real effect on the ground.
« Vladimir Putin wanted to weaken NATO, but I can tell you what I have seen this week is that we are united and determined to make our defensive alliance even stronger, now and for the future. »
Speaking following Mr. Trudeau, US President Joe Biden meanwhile announced that the United States will offer new military aid worth over $800 million
over the next few days.
The British government announced on Wednesday additional aid of one billion pounds (C$1.55 billion) to Ukraine, which includes anti-aircraft defense systems and drones.
A NATO center in Montreal
The Canadian Prime Minister also indicated that Canada has intend to host
the North American Regional Office of NATO’s North Atlantic Defense Innovation Accelerator.
This is one of the 10 accelerators that NATO wants to set up in the countries of the Alliance to ensure a technological lead over its rivals, particularly in terms of artificial intelligence and quantum technologies. .
Mr. Trudeau further confirmed that the NATO Military Committee has approved the installation in Montreal of the NATO Center of Excellence for Climate Change and Securityresponsible for studying and preventing strategic and military challenges caused by extreme weather events.
He also recalled that the NATO battle group that Canada is leading in Latvia will be considerably reinforced so as to become fit for combat
, and that more Canadian soldiers will join its ranks. However, their number remains to be determined.
« We will be there as long as necessary to ensure that Russia does not win in Ukraine, and that democracies and the rule of law will prevail. »
Canada will participate in the G20 in Bali
Mr. Trudeau also indicated that Canada will participate in the G20 summit to be held in November in Bali, Indonesia, even if Russian President Vladimir Putin was to attend. Last spring, Mr. Trudeau argued instead that Russia should be excluded from the group.
It’s too important a conversation regarding the global economy
to deprive himself of it, explained the Prime Minister at a press conference, pleading the need to thwart the voice and the lies that Russia may put forth
.
However, it is clear that the agenda will be dominated by issues such as food insecurity and rising fuel prices, which are a direct consequence of the Kremlin’s decision to start an illegitimate and unjustifiable war
he added.
With information from Christian Noël