At the Global Peace Summit, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said his country is still waiting for an air defense system Canada promised more than a year ago, as per CBC News.
In January 2023, Canada announced plans to supply Kyiv with a surface-to-air missile defense system worth $ 406 million, but there is still no delivery date.
“Of course, we wish the system was already in Ukraine because we are in a situation where every piece of air defense matters,” Kuleba told the newspaper at the end of the peace talks.
For Ukraine, receiving the system is “an issue of death and life,” an issue of survival of its energy infrastructure amid Russia’s attacks and a new offensive.
On 10 May, Russia launched a new offensive on Kharkiv Oblast, capturing Ukrainian villages and executing civilians. According to the military plans, Russians planned to encircle Kharkiv and repeatedly attack it with artillery, guided bombs, and ballistic and cruise missiles.
When asked about the aid, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated that the US is currently constructing the air defense system NASAMS. Therefore, Canada does not control the delivery date.
“We are working with the US to accelerate production, get it off the assembly line, and get it to Ukraine as quickly as possible.
We know the Americans want to do that as well, but it is something that is not entirely in Canada’s control,” said Trudeau.
Meanwhile, Canada announced $15 million in aid for Ukraine to help the country return its children from Russia.
Canada to allocate additional funding to help Ukraine return its children from Russian deportation
Read more:
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- Czechia to pay one-time travel grant for Ukrainian refugees’ return home
- NYT: Russians illegally move Ukrainian children from Kherson foster home to annexed Crimea
- Newborns held hostage: Luhansk occupation authorities force citizens to obtain Russian in exchange for their children