Ottawa, ON – The Hon. Michael Chong, Conservative Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs, and James Bezan, Conservative Shadow Minister for National Defence, issued the following statement in response to recent government announcements regarding Ukraine:
“Conservatives support Ukraine in its fight to protect its territorial integrity from the illegal invasion by Russia and Vladimir Putin. Since 2018, Conservatives have been calling on the Trudeau government to send more lethal military equipment to Ukraine.
“For over two years, Ukraine has been asking Canada and our allies for more military assistance, including artillery shells and rockets. Conservatives have been calling on the government to increase the production of key munitions, such as 155 mm artillery shells, and to replace all of the weapons donated to Ukraine so that the Canadian Armed Forces can protect Canadians and be a dependable partner for our allies. The Trudeau government has failed to sign contracts to increase artillery shell production.
“In fact, when answering questions last fall, government officials confirmed that the Trudeau government had not increased production in Canada by a single shell. This is despite the head of the Canadian Armed Forces confirming that we only have a three-day supply of shells available for our defence and despite the continuing need for shells by our Ukrainian allies.
“Earlier this month, and following Ukrainian requests, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre called on the government to donate 83,000 Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) CRV7 rockets to Ukraine. These rockets were requested by the Armed Forces of Ukraine in November 2023 and are slated for disposal by the CAF. The Trudeau government has failed to even commit to delivering these rockets that Ukraine desperately needs.
“The Trudeau government promised Ukraine a NASAMS over a year ago, but as usual Trudeau has failed to deliver on his promise or say where the $406 million approved for its purchase went. In fact, 50% of the military aid promised by the Trudeau government has not been delivered, according to reporting from Le Devoir.
“This is the story of the Trudeau government’s failures on Ukraine from the very beginning. The Liberals are quick to announce, slow to act, and fail to deliver. Conservatives will deliver the munitions and weapons Ukrainians need to defend their sovereignty from Russian aggression.”