By Amanda Stephenson
CALGARY, Alberta, Sept 10 (Reuters) - Canada has agreed a C$350 million aid package for Kyiv to acquire air defense interceptors, Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Thursday after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
Kyiv is running critically low on U.S.-made Patriot interceptors capable of stopping Russia's ballistic missiles at a time when Moscow is stepping up its attacks.
"As Russia escalates its barbaric aerial warfare indiscriminately targeting civilian populations, Ukraine's air defences are critical," Carney told reporters in Calgary.
"Earlier today Canada and Ukraine finalised an agreement to deliver critical air defence interceptors ... this C$350 million equipment package will help protect Ukraine's people, infrastructure, and skies," he said.
He did not give details of which interceptors would be delivered or when the aid would start flowing.
The weapons will be provided through a U.S. program that allows third-party nations to quickly buy and supply weapons such as Patriot missiles to Ukraine.
"I thank you for this package. It's of (the) utmost importance, especially now," said Zelenskiy.
Canada, one of Ukraine's most vocal defenders, has committed more than C$25.5 billion in overall aid since Russia invaded in February 2022, including C$8.5 billion in military assistance.
Carney also said Canada aimed to ramp up drone production to be able to produce millions of units within the next two years. A third of those would go to Ukraine, he said.
Zelenskiy said Ukraine needed more technology and funding to produce enough drones to fend off mass Russian attacks.
Canada is home to an estimated 1.3 to 1.4 million people of Ukrainian descent, forming one of the largest Ukrainian diasporas in the world.
As part of the deals signed on Thursday, Canada will provide nearly C$435 million in new loan guarantees to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to support energy security in Ukraine, especially during the winter.
(Additional reporting by Olena Harmash in Kyiv, writing by David LjunggrenEditing by Alex Richardson, Chizu Nomiyama and Deepa Babington)
