Overview

• Defence Minister David McGuinty said Ottawa is actively considering a co-production agreement with Ukraine to manufacture military equipment.
• Prime Minister Mark Carney committed to a significant defence spending increase at the NATO summit and announced negotiations on a security and defence procurement partnership with the EU.
• The federal government plans to leverage European loans through the proposed pact to support its expanded defence budget.
• Officials expect to join with EU nations on bulk equipment purchases after ratifying additional bilateral agreements, aiming to pass procurement savings to Canadian taxpayers.
• Ukraine’s advances in combat drone technology present potential industrial benefits and knowledge transfers for Canadian defence firms.