Canada is preparing to send Ukraine air-defense interceptor missiles worth C$350 million and said it is also ready to join Europe’s FREYJA ballistic missile defense program.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said after talks with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in Calgary that Canada would participate in the program with its own technologies and make additional defense deliveries.
Energy and Ukraine’s financial needs were on the agenda
Zelenskyy and Carney discussed support for Ukraine during the winter months, the energy sector, air defense, defense cooperation and economic projects. The talks also addressed the financial resources Ukraine needs this year and in 2027, as well as preparations for winter.
Zelenskyy said Canada was ready to help secure the financing needed for Ukraine’s budget and armed forces. He said the two countries were working on a separate agreement on unmanned aerial vehicles and expected to reach a comprehensive deal soon.
Ukraine and Canada also signed a declaration on a 100-year partnership. Zelenskyy said the agreements reached during the visit were worth more than $2 billion in total.
Canada preparing sanctions targeting Russia’s missile production
Canada is preparing a sanctions package aimed at making it more difficult for Russia to produce ballistic missiles. Carney’s office said Zelenskyy’s visit to Canada from September 9 to 11 focused on deepening cooperation in defense, the economy and energy.
Air-defense support to be delivered through JUMPSTART
Carney confirmed that the C$350 million package of air-defense interceptor missiles would be sent to Ukraine through the JUMPSTART mechanism. He said the assistance was intended to protect Ukraine, its infrastructure and its airspace.
Zelenskyy said he expected the initial results of talks aimed at ending the conflict with Russia to emerge by the end of September. The Ukrainian delegation is scheduled to discuss energy and food security with U.S. officials in New York at the end of the month.
Zelenskyy said the national security advisers of Ukraine and the United States had discussed the results and preparations related to a possible trilateral meeting. He added that he expected to provide more information about possible contacts with U.S. President Donald Trump after the New York talks.
Despite the latest trade tensions between the United States and Canada, Zelenskyy said Kyiv continued to rely on U.S. air-defense systems and intelligence support, adding that Ukraine particularly needed Patriot systems and missiles. Ukraine also receives intelligence from its partners in Europe and the United States.
