Lesser of Two Evils: Canada Shifts Budget From Ukraine to Boost Military Presence in Europe

In 2023-2026, Canada plans to provide CAD $1.331 billion (about USD $971.5 million) in military assistance to Ukraine, according to the country's budget proposal.

According to figures outlined in the document, CAD $816 million (USD $595.6 million) is earmarked for military aid to Kiev for the fiscal year 2023-2024. In the following financial year, 2024-2025, the allocation drops to CAD $318 million (about USD $232.1 million), and in 2025-2026 it further decreases to CAD $197 million (about USD $143.8 million).

However, no funds will be appropriated for military assistance to Ukraine beginning in fiscal year 2026-2027.

Earlier, Russia sent a note of protest to NATO countries regarding arms supplies to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stressed that any shipments of weapons to Ukraine would be considered a legitimate target for Russia.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has said that NATO countries are "playing with fire" by supplying weapons to Ukraine. Kremlin officials have claimed that the flow of weapons from the West to Ukraine will not contribute to the success of Russian-Ukrainian negotiations and will have a negative impact.

Unpacking Military Presence in Europe

Meanwhile, Canada is set to allocate CAD $2.625 billion (USD $1.9 billion) to expand its military presence in Europe, including Latvia, from 2023 to 2029, according to the country's budget proposal.

The document shows that CAD $417 million (USD $304.4 million) are planned for this purpose in the 2023-2024 fiscal year, followed by CAD $802 million (USD $585.4 million) in 2024-2025, and CAD $872 million (USD $636.4 million) in 2025-2026.

After that, Canada plans to devote CAD $178 million (USD $129.9 million) each year for the next three years to increase its military presence in Central and Eastern Europe, including Latvia.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has repeatedly claimed that the United States and NATO are directly involved in the conflict in Ukraine, not only through arms shipments, but also by training personnel on the territories of the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and other countries.