Ukraine and Canada have reached agreements worth more than $2 billion covering air defense, combat aircraft munitions, drone production, energy cooperation and support for Ukrainian veterans, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Thursday.
Speaking alongside Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Zelenskyy described the package as a significant expansion of cooperation between Kyiv and Ottawa as Ukraine seeks to strengthen its military and energy resilience.
More than $1 billion of the overall arrangements will come through a government defense package, according to the Ukrainian president.
Patriot Missiles Form Major Part of Defense Package
Strengthening Ukraine’s air defenses will be one of the central objectives of the new Canadian assistance.
Zelenskyy said the package includes missiles for Ukraine’s Patriot air-defense systems, which have become an important component of the country’s protection against Russian aerial attacks.
The systems are used to intercept a range of incoming threats, including ballistic and cruise missiles.
Kyiv has repeatedly called on international partners to provide additional Patriot ammunition as Russia continues missile and drone attacks against Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure.
F-16 Munitions Included in Canadian Support
Ukraine’s expanding F-16 fleet will also receive additional support through the arrangements.
Zelenskyy said Canada would provide munitions for the fighter aircraft, strengthening their ability to participate in Ukraine’s air-defense operations.
The Ukrainian president said combat aircraft are being used to intercept Russian jet-powered drones, which Kyiv commonly refers to as “Shaheds.”
The package is therefore designed to strengthen both Ukraine’s ground-based air-defense systems and its airborne interception capabilities.
21 Ukrainian Pilots Training in Canada
Canada is also contributing to the development of Ukraine’s military aviation personnel.
According to Zelenskyy, 21 Ukrainians are currently undergoing pilot training in Canada.
He described the program as an important reinforcement of Ukraine’s future combat aviation capabilities.
Other Ukrainian personnel are simultaneously receiving aviation-related training from partner countries at different stages, creating a broader international effort to prepare Ukrainian crews to operate Western combat aircraft.
Ukraine and Canada Sign First Document Under “Drone Deal”
One of the most significant new areas of cooperation involves drone technology.
Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine and Canada had reached an agreement on what he called a “Drone Deal,” with the first document under the initiative already signed.
According to the Ukrainian president, the arrangement will create additional mechanisms for financing Ukraine’s defense capabilities while giving Canada greater access to technology developed and tested under modern battlefield conditions.
The agreement comes as unmanned systems increasingly dominate reconnaissance, targeting and strike operations in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Drone Coproduction Planned Under Wider Defense Partnership
The broader package also includes plans for joint drone production.
Ukraine has dramatically expanded its domestic unmanned systems industry during the war, producing a growing variety of reconnaissance, tactical and long-range strike drones.
Cooperation with Canada could provide additional financing and manufacturing capacity while allowing Canadian defense companies and institutions to benefit from Ukrainian battlefield experience.
Zelenskyy presented the partnership as mutually beneficial rather than purely a military assistance program.
Energy Agreements Target Winter Resilience
Defense was not the only focus of Thursday’s announcements.
Ukraine and Canada also reached what Zelenskyy described as concrete agreements in the energy sector.
The Ukrainian president said the initiatives would strengthen both countries ahead of the coming winter while also creating longer-term opportunities for cooperation.
Energy security remains particularly important for Ukraine after repeated Russian attacks on electricity generation, transmission and other critical infrastructure.
Zelenskyy did not provide detailed financial or technical terms for each of the energy agreements in his public remarks.
Canada Commits $40 Million to Ukrainian Veterans Fund
The two countries also agreed to expand support for Ukrainian military veterans.
Zelenskyy announced the creation of a Veterans Fund and said Canada would contribute $40 million to the initiative.
The money is expected to support Ukrainian programs designed for veterans as the country confronts the long-term social consequences of years of large-scale warfare.
With large numbers of Ukrainian service members eventually returning to civilian life, rehabilitation, employment, healthcare and reintegration programs are becoming increasingly important areas of government policy.
Carney Government Deepens Canada’s Support for Kyiv
The agreements announced alongside Prime Minister Mark Carney reinforce Canada’s position as a major international supporter of Ukraine.
The package combines immediate military requirements — particularly air defense and aviation ammunition — with longer-term industrial, technological, energy and veteran-support initiatives.
For Kyiv, the Patriot missiles and F-16 munitions address immediate battlefield requirements, while drone coproduction and pilot training could contribute to Ukraine’s military capabilities over a much longer period.
Zelenskyy Hails Long-Term Canada-Ukraine Partnership
Zelenskyy thanked Canada for the new commitments and portrayed the agreements as evidence of a relationship extending beyond emergency wartime assistance.
The Ukrainian president argued that cooperation in defense technology, energy and veteran support could produce benefits for both countries.
With the total value of the day’s arrangements exceeding $2 billion, the announcements represent a substantial new package of Canadian-Ukrainian cooperation.
“Ukraine and Canada will always be friends and will always make each other stronger,” Zelenskyy said as he welcomed the agreements reached with Carney.
