Today, the Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence, participated in the 16th Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) meeting in Brussels, Belgium, hosted by United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III. The meeting brought together representatives from approximately 50 countries, who reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Ukraine and discussed comprehensive military aid to address Ukraine's immediate defence needs and longer-term priorities.
At the meeting, Minister Blair announced that Canada will donate $25 million worth of winter clothing and equipment to Ukraine. This includes boots, thermal layers, and winter sleeping bags. This also includes patterned military uniforms for 2000 female Armed Forces of Ukraine soldiers, which will be manufactured in Canada. This donation is funded by the $500 million tranche in funding for military assistance to Ukraine announced by Prime Minister Trudeau in June 2023.
Minister Blair also announced that Canada will also provide the following new package of donations from Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) inventory:
- 2,000 additional rounds of 155mm ammunition;
- Smoke ammunition, including 955 rounds of 155mm artillery smoke and over 2,000 rounds of 81mm mortar smoke;
- 2,260 gas masks;
- 277 1,000-pound aircraft bombs and associated fuse assemblies; and
- Various types of 76mm naval ammunition.
The Minister also noted that the previously announced donations of almost 8,000 rounds of 155mm ammunition, 10,000 rounds of 105mm artillery rounds, and approximately 2 million rounds of 7.62mm small arms ammunition were delivered last week.
Canada will continue to support Ukraine as it fights to defend its freedom and sovereignty in the face of Russia's illegal and unjustifiable war.
