Canada announces $2B military aid for Ukraine, new Russia sanctions on 4th anniversary of war

By Merve Aydogan

HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday announced nearly $2 billion in new military assistance for Ukraine and fresh sanctions targeting Russia, as the ongoing war between Moscow and Kyiv marked its fourth anniversary.

"To target the financial enablers of this war, Canada is imposing new sanctions and further lowering our price cap for Russian crude oil," Carney said in a statement.

He said Canada is renewing Operation UNIFIER, a military training mission launched in 2015 to train and support Ukraine's armed forces following Russia's actions in Crimea, to continue helping Ukraine build a resilient military. He also announced $20 million to rebuild infrastructure damaged by Russian strikes.

"On February 24, 2022, Russia launched an unjustifiable, full-scale invasion of Ukraine," he said. "For four years, Vladimir Putin's regime has bombed Ukraine’s churches, schools, and hospitals, and abducted thousands of Ukrainian children."

He added that Russia "has targeted Ukraine’s energy supply, attempting to freeze civilians to death by bombing power plants and heating systems in the dead of winter."

Despite the attacks, Carney said, "Ukraine has persisted. Russia greatly underestimated the courage, determination, and strength of the Ukrainian people."

He said Canada has committed over $25.5 billion in assistance since 2022, including more than $13 billion in direct financial support, and is working with Ukraine and international partners toward "a just and lasting peace backed by robust security guarantees."