Canada and Poland Partner To Assist Ukraine

Canadian Defence Minister Anita Anand visited Poland to discuss Canadian relations with the NATO member’s Minister of National Defence Mariusz Blaszczak. Along with signing a memorandum of understanding to strengthen the defense partnership between the two represented nations, Anand and Blaszczak also announced the deployment of 40 combat engineers to train the Security Forces of Ukraine. 

During a press conference in Warsaw, Anand explained that the engineers are being sent “to help Polish forces train Ukrainian sappers on engineering reconnaissance, explosives, mining and demining.” The training, which is under Operation UNIFIER, “will complement Canadian training of new Ukrainian recruits in the United Kingdom and Canadian training of Ukrainian personnel on the use of the M777 Howitzers that [Canada] donated to Ukraine.” 

Canada’s defense had announced its shipment of 10 replacement barrels for the sustainment of the M777 Howitzer artillery guns. The estimated cost totals $9 million and provides 20,000 rounds of ammunition “that Canada sourced from the United States to assist Ukraine,” according to CTV News. 

Anand also noted the neighborly generosity shown by Polish leaders and citizens. “I would like to commend you … for your sincere and remarkable efforts in welcoming millions of Ukrainians fleeing Putin’s unjustifiable war.” According to UNICEF, Poland has received at least 1.4 million Ukrainian refugees–more than any other nation. 

Blaszczak followed Anand by speaking about Polish soldiers, who are “stationed in Latvia where Canada is the framework nation.” He noted that Canada and Poland take part in partnered training and drills and are “building interoperation among [their] armies.” 

Operation UNIFIER, launched in response to requests from the Ukrainian government to help them remain a free and sovereign country, is a Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) mission. The current goal is to assist in security training and help Ukraine fight back against Putin’s war. 

The operation, however, began in April 2015, when Canada announced that it would send 200 CAF members to Ukraine. Though it was initially planned to run through March 2017, it continued to expand and is now set to run through March of 2025. 

According to Canada’s national defence website, the country has provided Ukraine with “more than $890 million in multifaceted assistance to support Ukraine’s security, prosperity and reform objectives” between 2014 and 2022. Additionally, Canada has supplied Ukraine with nonlethal military equipment such as communications systems for field operations, surveillance and detection equipment, explosive disposal equipment, medical kits and more. 

Canada’s and Poland’s defense leaders closed the press conference by agreeing that the nations are “stronger together.”