Canada prepares multi-year plan for military aid to Ukraine

The government plans to increase military spending to 1.76% of GDP by 2030, including $8.1 billion over the next five years.

The budget includes $1.6 billion over five years for military aid to Ukraine.

It also includes $350 million over two years for responding to large-scale humanitarian crises and $159 million over five years to support the transformation of Canada's management of global affairs.

The budget includes:

• $48 million over four years and $15.8 million thereafter to forgive the loans of early childhood educators;
• $52 million over five years to enact and enforce the new Online Harms Act;
• $273.6 million over six years for community outreach, law enforcement, counter-radicalization and victim support;
• $32 million over six years and $11 million a year thereafter for the Security Infrastructure Program, which funds physical security for community and religious hubs;
• over $900 million over six years for greener homes and energy efficiency programs;
• $150 million over three years for an Emergency Treatment Fund to help municipalities and Indigenous communities deal with the opioid crisis;
• $6.1 billion over six years and $1.4 billion a year thereafter for the Canada Disability Benefit and related costs.

Aid from Canada to Ukraine

Canada began actively assisting Ukraine from the start of Russian aggression, providing military and financial aid.

It was previously reported that Canada would start delivering 450 SkyRanger drones to Ukraine in the summer.

In mid-February, it was announced that Canada would allocate $44 million for Ukraine's defense.

Additionally, Canada is considering transferring CRV7 air-to-ground missiles to Ukraine, which the Canadian government had previously planned to decommission.