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The Canadian and Ukrainian governments have announced the forging of a new chapter in the Canada–Ukraine partnership with a series of new initiatives to bolster Canada’s sovereign drone capabilities, expand co-production with Ukraine and establish long-term cooperation on defence and security.
Coinciding with the announcement, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney met with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Canada had announced the creation of the Defence Drone Initiative Marketplace Supply Arrangement. The national digital drone marketplace will connect operators and end users to this Canadian defence ecosystem, accelerating the discovery, acquisition and fielding of uncrewed and counter-uncrewed capabilities.
This system, modelled after Ukraine’s world-leading Brave1, will ensure the reliable, rapid and continuous supply of drones for the Canadian Armed Forces and the Canadian Coast Guard. Canada’s allies and partners will have privileged access to nearly 400 trusted Canadian suppliers.
Canada has awarded initial contracts worth up to $50 million that will increase the number of drones currently deployed by the Canadian Armed Forces tenfold.
Additionally, these procurements put Canada’s Build-Partner-Buy approach into action and contracts will require training, maintenance, repair, configuration and sustainment to take place in Canada, supporting Canadian jobs and expertise and strengthening its ability to maintain critical defence capabilities across Canada.
For these initial contracts, Canada will work with the following suppliers to procure intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance drones as well as uncrewed ground vehicles.
“Canada is, has, and always will be a steadfast ally in Ukraine’s relentless pursuit of freedom. Today, Canada and Ukraine forged a new partnership which will equip the Canadian Armed Forces with world-leading drone capabilities, create jobs across Canada and support Ukraine as they fight to achieve a just and lasting peace. Ukraine’s fight is our fight, their struggle is our cause and their independence will be our victory,” Prime Minister Carney said.
Both countries also underlined the new partnership between General Dynamics Mission Systems-Canada and the Ukrainian company Green Tech Harvest, which will develop and produce critical drones and drone-related technologies.
The partnership, building on the partnership between Airlogix LLC and Sentinel Research & Development announced in May, is expected to expand Canadian and Ukrainian collaboration on every aspect of drone production, from the critical metals and minerals to engineering.
In addition, both countries announced intentions to forge a long term, government-to-government partnership to jointly produce uncrewed systems, counter-drone technologies and priority munitions – combining Ukrainian battlefield experience with Canadian manufacturing, software and AI.
Canada had announced approximately $350 million to deliver critical air defence interceptors through the United States’ Joint Ukraine Multinational Program – Services, Training and Articles Rapid Timeline, as well as nearly $23 million in funding to bolster the capabilities of Ukraine’s security architecture and nearly $435 million in new loan guarantees to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to support energy security, including winter gas purchases and secondary energy generators to produce electricity during shortages.
Canada also allocated $200 million in concessional loans through Export Development Canada to support Ukraine’s reconstruction and provided an additional $10 million to the Ukraine Energy Support Fund, for a total of $100 million, to support Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, including the procurement and delivery of critical energy equipment to improve the resilience of Ukrainians to energy shocks.
It also provided $2 million to the International Energy Agency Joint Work Programme to support Ukraine’s Energy Resource Development. This funding will strengthen Ukraine’s energy resilience, provide regulatory support and advance clean energy projects.
Finally, Canada will provide up to $40.1 million to help Ukrainian veterans recover, rehabilitate and transition to civilian life, including up to $6 million to support Ukraine’s efforts to return and reintegrate Ukrainian children unlawfully deported and forcibly transferred by Russia.
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