The Canadian government is exploring the possibility of funding the transfer of a significant quantity of artillery ammunition to Ukraine from the Czech Republic, as per a CBC News report on February 21.
Sources within the Canadian Defense Ministry have indicated that Canada is prepared to allocate up to CAD 30 million ($22 million) for the procurement of 800,000 artillery rounds, though the deal's specifics are yet to be finalized.
Defense Minister Bill Blair has confirmed that discussions are underway with the Czech Republic concerning the ammunition transfer.
"I have signed a memorandum of understanding with one of our European allies, the Czech Republic, regarding the potential purchase of ammunition they currently have available, which will allow us to... make them more accessible to Ukraine as we ramp up our own production," Blair remarked.
The move comes after Czech President Petr Pavel revealed that Prague possesses hundreds of thousands of artillery rounds potentially available for transfer to Ukraine.
Pavel suggested that the Czech Republic could expedite the handover of this ammunition "within a few weeks," provided that other partners contribute financially to the arrangement.
