Canadian Minister of National Defence Bill Blair meets with German Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius on May 10 when Canada pledged $76 million toward defence in Ukraine. Photo: DND Supplied
K-J Millar
Shilo Stag Media
Canada announced it would contribute $76 million to Germany’s Immediate Action on Air Defence (IAAD) in support of Ukraine when Minister of National Defence Bill Blair met with the European country’s Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, on May 10.
“Canada and Germany are close NATO Allies, united through our close defence relationship and our commitment to supporting Ukraine. Through Canada’s investment in Germany’s Immediate Action on Air Defence Initiative, we are working together to provide Ukraine with the crucial air defence systems that it needs to protect its people,” Blair said.
Germany launched the initiative in April which pools money and resources from the international community to quickly source and deliver air defence systems for Ukraine. These systems will help defend against Russian aerial attacks, killing thousands of Ukrainians and destroying hospitals, power plants and apartment blocks, a press release from the Department of National Defence stated on May 10.
“Canada and Germany share a strong and cooperative defence relationship. We will continue to deepen our ties as we work to uphold peace, stability, and the rules-based international order,” the communication reads.
Canada and Germany have a concentrated history with more than 4,000 soldiers each year being posted over a 25-year term to CFB Shilo from 1974 to 2000.
Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members are currently deployed to Germany as part of the Security Assistance Group—Ukraine, which is helping to facilitate the transfer of aid to Ukraine, aligning future donations with Ukraine’s needs, and planning for the immediate and longer-term training needs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Jointly, the ministers highlighted the work Canada and Germany are partnering in to support the NATO Alliance, including NATO battle groups in Latvia and Lithuania, plus strengthening NATO’s defence and deterrence measures in Eastern Europe. Both countries are working toward building their battle groups to full Brigade size, the presser reads.
The Canadian and German ministers further discussed joint priorities in the lead-up to this summer’s NATO Summit in Washington, D.C., and reaffirmed their countries’ commitment to continue providing vital military support to Ukraine in the immediate and longer term.
“I thank Minister Pistorius for his strong cooperation, and I thank the German people for their hospitality to Canadian Armed Forces members deployed to the country,” Blair said.
By this summer, Canada will have more than doubled its military presence in Latvia, with more than 1,500 continuously deployed CAF members in Latvia. This will expand by 2026, with a full implementation of up to 2,200 members in a brigade capacity.
On April 8, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Defence Minister Bill Blair released Our North, Strong and Free: A Renewed Vision for Canada’s Defence. This defence policy update prioritizes Arctic and northern security and will invest $8.1 billion over five years and $73 billion over 20 years to bolster the defence of Canada.
With this investment, Canada projects its defence spending to GDP ratio to reach 1.76 percent in 2029-30. This is a significant step forward towards meeting our commitment to reach defence expenditures of two per cent of gross domestic product.
Initiatives under Our North, Strong and Free also put Canada on track to exceed NATO’s target of 20 per cent for major equipment expenditures as a proportion of defence funding in 2025-2026.