Canada agrees to send lethal weapons to Ukraine

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Monday that Canada has agreed to send lethal weapons to Ukraine and give Kiev $500 million in loans to help it defend itself against any Russian aggression.

"In light of the gravity of the situation and after discussions with our partners in Ukraine, I have agreed to provide them with equipment and lethal munitions worth 7.8 million Canadian dollars," Trudeau said during a press conference.

He added that "this order responds to a specific request by Ukraine, and is a continuation of the non-lethal equipment that we previously provided," noting that "this support by Canada and other partners is intended to deter further Russian aggression."

Trudeau confirmed that Ottawa will grant additional loans to Ukraine, bringing the total amount announced since the beginning of the year to C$620 million ($490 million).

For days, the United States has confirmed that Russia may invade Ukraine "at any time", while several countries have called on their citizens to leave Ukrainian territory as soon as possible.

On Saturday, Canada announced the temporary closure of its embassy in Kiev and the transfer of its activities to an office in Lviv, in the west of the country, "due to the deteriorating situation, as well as the transfer of part of its military staff stationed in Ukraine to other places in Europe."

About 200 Canadian soldiers are deployed in Ukraine since 2015 as part of the "Univers" mission, which aims to contribute to the training of Ukrainian forces.

For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday that the decision of Western countries, including the United States and Canada, to move their embassies from Kiev to western Ukraine, was a "fatal mistake."

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