Canada filling the gap in support for Ukraine amid drop in U.S. aid - Freeland

Canada has increased its support to Ukraine amid delays in the approval of a new aid package by the U.S. Congress.

Canadian Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said this in an interview on CBC, Ukrinform reports.

"In March, Canada sent $2 billion in urgent budget financing support to Ukraine at a time when the U.S […] has been unable to step up and provide support for Ukraine. We were there to fill the gap," Freeland said.

According to her, Canadians "can stand up tall and proud, knowing that our country is absolutely doing our part to resist Russia [and] support Ukraine, which is NATO's biggest fight."

Freeland said "shenanigans in Congress" have left the U.S. unable to provide much-needed support to Ukraine as it fights to defend itself from Russian forces.

"That is a problem. Canada's support for Ukraine is not Ukraine's problem," she said.

Since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, Canada has provided almost $2 billion in military aid to Ukraine. The total amount of Canadian aid to Ukraine, including humanitarian and financial aid, has exceeded $9 billion since the beginning of 2022.