Standing shoulder to shoulder with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Turkey, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Monday announced a sweeping $900 million military aid package for Ukraine one of Canada’s largest single commitments since the war began.
The announcement, made July 7, signals Ottawa’s intent to deepen its role in sustaining Ukraine’s war effort as fighting continues to grind on more than four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
The package breaks down into three streams: $475 million earmarked for ammunition, $400 million for 35 armoured vehicles manufactured in Canada, and a further $50 million directed toward what the Prime Minister’s Office described only as “critical technology” and engineering equipment. The aid is part of a broader $2.8 billion Canadian commitment pledged for 2026.
“We’re going to support Ukraine in the short, medium, and long term,” Carney told Zelenskyy at the announcement. He also pointed to ongoing discussions around air defence systems and referenced Canada’s contributions through NATO’s Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List known as PURL a procurement mechanism that allows European nations and Canada to purchase equipment from the United States on Ukraine’s behalf.
Zelenskyy, for his part, was direct about what his country needs most right now. “Our biggest deficit is air defence systems,” he said, adding his gratitude for what he called a “big package.” Some components, he noted, are already in transit.
The pledge builds on a string of Canadian commitments in recent months. Carney announced a $270 million PURL contribution in May, and Ottawa had already channeled roughly $892 million into the procurement system by the end of 2025.
Beyond weapons and ammunition, the two leaders discussed a growing web of bilateral initiatives. Among them is Canada’s push to establish a Defence, Security and Resilience Bank a new financing vehicle with eight founding members, including Ukraine, Albania, Belgium, Greece, Latvia, Luxembourg, Romania, and Turkey.
Drone cooperation also featured prominently. Following a production-sharing arrangement signed in late May, Ukraine and Canada are now working to manufacture some drone systems on Canadian soil a striking development given Ukraine’s emergence as a global leader in unmanned warfare. Ukrainian and Russian forces have been trading significant drone and missile strikes in recent days. On July 6, Ukrainian drones struck Russia’s largest oil refinery in Omsk roughly 2,700 kilometres from Ukrainian-controlled territory. Hours later, Russia retaliated with missiles and drones targeting Ukraine, killing at least 28 people. Ukrainian officials acknowledged they were unable to intercept some ballistic missiles due to ammunition shortfalls the very gap Carney’s package now aims to help close.
Energy cooperation was also on the agenda, with Zelenskyy’s office noting that Ukraine and Canada are simultaneously developing three undisclosed joint projects.
The Antalya summit comes at a moment of tentative diplomatic movement. U.S. President Donald Trump, speaking from the White House on July 6 after calls with both Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, suggested a resolution may be closer than many expect. “I think we’re getting much closer than people realize. President Putin wants it to end,” Trump said.
Whether that optimism proves well-founded remains to be seen. For now, Canada is making clear it isn’t waiting to find out.
