The ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia was a key topic of the meeting, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the ministers during the meeting.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, chairing his first meeting of NATO defense ministers since taking office in early October, said alliance members were on track to provide nearly of $60 billion in security aid to Ukraine.
“The war in Ukraine has shown that instability in Europe can have far-reaching consequences around the world, and that countries thousands of miles away – as far away as Iran, China and even South Korea North – can become troublemakers in our own backyard,” Rutte said, according to a NATO statement.
Canada has committed more than $19.5 billion to support Ukraine since the Russian invasion in February 2022. This includes the $500 million promised by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the NATO summit in July.
The money announced by Minister Blair on Friday comes from this July commitment, more than $50 million of which will be used to purchase weapons, ammunition and military drones as well as uniforms and personal protective equipment for Ukrainian soldiers.
The rest of the funding is intended to support the military training of these soldiers and to strengthen Ukraine’s cyber forces.
In a statement on X released after the meeting, President Zelensky expressed the importance of his allies’ collective support for Ukraine during the Russian invasion.
“Only by putting pressure on Russia, using all available means and tools, can we achieve our goal of real and just peace as quickly as possible,” maintained the Ukrainian head of state .
US President Joe Biden encouraged Western allies to continue supporting Ukraine during a meeting with European leaders in Germany on Friday.
“As Ukraine faces a difficult winter, we must – we must – maintain our resolve, our efforts and our support,” Biden insisted.
With information from the Associated Press.
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