Canada’s Trudeau announces his country will join efforts to train Ukrainian fighter pilots
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced during a visit to Kyiv Saturday that Canada will be part of multinational efforts to train Ukraine’s fighter pilots.
During a joint news conference with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trudeau said the country will help "maintain and support Ukraine's fighter jet program, leveraging Canadian expertise in these areas."
Trudeau also announced that Canada will contribute to an initiative for the maintenance of Leopard battle tanks that Ukraine’s allies have provided to Kyiv.
“We will provide an additional 287 AIM-7 missiles, which will support Ukraine in its efforts to defend Ukrainian skies,” he added, referring to a type of medium-range air-to-air missile. “And from existing funds, we will provide 10,000 rounds of 105-millimeter ammunition to the Ukraine security forces."
Trudeau said an additional $500 million is being allocated as military funding.
On the dam collapse: The Canadian prime minister also commented on the disastrous flooding following a break in southern Ukraine’s Nova Kakhovka dam.
"There is absolutely no doubt in our mind, that the destruction of the dam was the direct consequence of Russia's decision to invade a peaceful neighbor,” he said.
As CNN has previously reported, it’s not currently possible to say whether the dam collapsed because it was deliberately targeted or if the breach could have been caused by structural failure. Kyiv and Moscow have each accused the other of causing the collapse.
“Russia's war in Ukraine has devastated infrastructure, has destroyed families and taken lives, and is causing economic, food, energy shortages around the world. Russia is responsible and will be held to account,” Trudeau said.
He also announced the provision of $10 million Canadian (around $7.46 million USD) to help flooding victims.
On NATO: During their meeting in Kyiv on Saturday, the two leaders also adopted a declaration in which Canada supports Ukraine's accession to NATO as soon as circumstances allow.
"Canada supports Ukraine to become a NATO member as soon as conditions allow for it. Ukraine and Canada look forward to addressing these issues at the NATO Summit in Vilnius in July 2023," according to the text of the declaration.
Zelensky has previously said he understands his country cannot become a member of NATO while it is still at war.
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