A prominent Ukrainian politician is urging the Canadian government to provide more weapons to Ukraine, including old weapons, after visiting an Ontario military base and meeting with officials.’s commission on arms control, met with federal officials in Ottawa, including National Defence Minister Bill Blair, and visited the Petawawa military base.
“Canada is open to the donation of any equipment that would concretely boost Ukraine’s military capabilities and help Ukraine defend itself,” he wrote in an e-mail. “Canada has already donated munitions and vehicles from our own stocks, and we are constantly considering what more we can do.” Mr. Minden said the government’s updated defence policy spends $9.5-billion over 20 years to scale up the production of munitions, including 155-mm artillery ammunition built in Canada. He noted that the Czech Republic has launched an initiative to supply Ukraine with thousands of large-calibre ammunition rounds, including 155-mm artillery ammunition, and Mr. Blair announced recently that Canada would contribute $40-million to it.