Ahead of trip, Anand says all military aid options to Ukraine still on the table
CTV
Defence Minister Anita Anand says Canada remains open to enhancing military aid to Ukraine amid rising tensions with Russia, a message she will convey to her Ukrainian counterparts during an upcoming trip to the country.
In an interview on CTV’s Question Period airing Sunday, Anand said the greatest contribution Canada can provide to Ukraine at this time is human resources, touting the government’s announcement last week to extend and expand Operation UNIFIER.
“We have trained over 30,000 Ukrainian soldiers and our training in Ukraine has been universally recognized as important, especially among our NATO allies, to the stability and security of Ukraine,” she said.
“So in terms of further aid, we put on the table non lethal weapons [last] week, we put on the table $120 million for economic stability the week before and we will continue to raise all options when I am meeting with Minister [Reznikov] in the coming days.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced last Wednesday a three-year extension of the military operation, which was scheduled to expire in March 2022. The government said 60 more Canadian troops, on top of the 200 already stationed there, will be deployed in the coming days.
