JAKARTA - Canada will buy a National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) made by the United States for Ukraine, said a statement from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's office, after a meeting with US President Joe Biden in Mexico City on Tuesday.
PM Trudeau and President Biden were hosted by Mexico for a meeting of North American leaders. PM Trudeau informed President Biden of the purchase during a separate discussion, both of which were held to support Ukraine in its war with Russia.
"This is the first Canadian air defense system donation to Ukraine," Defense Minister Anita Anand said on Twitter after the announcement.
"The air defense system is Ukraine's top priority," he said, citing Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov, who told him in a telephone conversation held earlier on Tuesday.
NASAMS is a short-to-medium ground-based air defense system that protects against drone, missile and aircraft attacks, Anand said.
The donation is worth about USD 406 million (USD 302.6 million), and is an addition to the Canadian dollar 500 million that Canada promised Ukraine in November, according to a Defense Ministry statement.
Canada has provided more than $1 billion in military aid to Ukraine since February last year.
Separately, PM Trudeau and President Biden also "discussed their shared commitment to North American defense, including the acquisition of Canadian F-35 fighter jets for the Canadian Royal Air Force," according to a statement from the prime minister's office.
Canada finalized a deal to buy 88 F-35 fighter jets from US defense company Lockheed Martin Corp on Monday, in a $19 billion project to replace its aging fleet of warplanes.
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