Zelenskyy says Ukraine working on military ‘drone deal’ with Canada

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his country has started preparations for a military drone deal with Canada.

In a post on social media, he says 20 countries are already working with Ukraine on similar deals.

Global News and The Canadian Press has reached out to National Defence Minister David McGuinty, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand and their respective ministries for comment.

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s office said last August that the defence departments in Canada and Ukraine had signed a letter of intent “to co-produce defence materials in both countries,” but did not refer specifically to drones.

Ukraine has talked about signing export deals with other countries to supply them with the advanced drone technology it has refined since Russia launched its full-scale invasion four years ago, and to build drones in joint ventures.

Canadian officials testified last November that they had seen little progress on efforts to find economic opportunities for Canadian firms in Ukraine in sectors like drone manufacturing, in part because those companies were worried about the physical safety of their staff and investments.