Bill to speed up military aid to Ukraine introduced in Canadian Parliament
The lower house of Canada’s parliament has registered a bill that would simplify the process of providing military aid to Ukraine and support the Ukrainian defense industry.
The bill was introduced by MP from the opposition Conservative Party Garnet Genuis, Censor.NET reports with reference to Ukrinform.
Among other steps, the bill requires the government to immediately transfer surplus military equipment from the Canadian Armed Forces to Ukraine and to abolish or simplify export controls on military equipment sent to Ukraine.
In addition, the bill calls on Canadian public lending institutions to prioritize defense industrial projects in Ukraine.
The document also calls for accelerating the implementation of energy and mining projects in Canada, particularly in the areas of liquefied natural gas and nuclear energy "to replace energy exports from hostile states and support energy cooperation between allies and partners."
"After more than two years of war, Ukraine cannot wait any longer for the necessary assistance. Immediate action is critical to achieving Ukraine's victory, defending its sovereignty and security. This bill is an important step towards enhancing Ukraine's defense capabilities and accelerating the implementation of Canadian energy projects," said the bill's author, Mr. Genuis.
Earlier it was reported that Canada is allocating $2.3 million for the Ukrainian production of drones for the Armed Forces.
As a reminder, Canada has long been hesitant to transfer decommissioned CRV7 air defense missiles to Ukraine. They were developed in the 1980s and decommissioned by Canada in the early 2000s. Three years ago, the government signed a contract for their gradual disposal. The Canadian Ministry of Defense has subsequently announced that they are considering these missiles as part of a possible future military aid package, but not all missiles have warheads. Ukraine calls on Canada to hand over the munitions as soon as possible. This position is supported by the Canadian opposition.
