Carney says Canada will need millions of drones, promises closer work with Ukraine

CALGARY — Canada will work with Ukraine to produce “millions” of drones for the Canadian military, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Thursday in Calgary after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“I have to confess that our Armed Forces currently have but 2,000 drones in our inventory. In the years to come, we will need millions,” Carney said.

He also promised more air-defence support for Ukraine and the two nations also signed joint statements on energy co-operation and defence.

“Canadians understand in our bones the importance of your struggle,” Carney told reporters, standing alongside Zelenskyy. “There is no qualification to our commitment. Because your cause — freedom, democracy, sovereignty — is our cause.”

The prime minister said the two countries had finalized a $350 million agreement to deliver air defence interceptors through an American mechanism to help protect Ukraine from Russian airstrikes.

Carney also said Canada is launching a national drone marketplace for the Canadian Armed Forces and the Canadian Coast Guard. He said the marketplace will give Canada the capacity to produce “millions of drones within the next two years.”

“Today’s contracts will increase the number of drones available to the CAF tenfold,” he said.

“Importantly, one-third of all the drones we manufacture will go to support Ukraine’s defence of its homeland.”

Carney said Ukrainian “ingenuity and courage” has led it to build drone companies that are world leaders, and those companies will now teach Canadian firms. Ukraine will benefit from Canadian skills in manufacturing and artificial intelligence, he said.

Russia launched its war on Ukraine in 2014 and expanded to a full-scale invasion in 2022.

Carney pointed out that “Ukraine had agreed to drastically reduce its arsenal in the wake of the breakup of the Soviet Union,” in exchange for an understanding that other countries would protect Ukraine from invasion.

He said Canada is boosting its humanitarian support to help Ukraine meet its energy needs. Carney said the two countries have signed a “declaration for a hundred-year partnership” that covers defence, trade, reconstruction and critical minerals.

Earlier, Zelenskyy told reporters he was thankful for the air-defence support while adding he wouldn’t “spoil” what seemed to be a looming announcement.

“This is a very important package of air defence. This is crucial. This is a big deficit in the world. We are thankful for this,” Zelenskyy said.

He also praised Canada’s financial, diplomatic and moral support throughout the war. “We are thankful that we have such strong partners as Canadians,” he said.

Zelenskyy said he is in Canada to discuss drone production and preparations for winter, given the prospect of further Russian strikes on critical infrastructure. He was set later in the day to address federal cabinet members gathered in Banff, Alta.

Zelenskyy is scheduled to travel to Toronto and North Bay, Ont. before he departs Canada on Friday.

Carney noted earlier Thursday the huge Ukrainian-Canadian population in Alberta and its contributions to many communities over decades.

“Ukrainians helped build this province, this country. And Canada will help rebuild Ukraine when peace comes,” Carney told reporters.

Both nations also released a joint statement on liquefied natural gas, nuclear and green energy.

“Stronger Canada-Ukraine energy co-operation can support Ukraine’s recovery while creating opportunities for collaboration,” says the statement, signed by Energy Minister Tim Hodgson and his Ukrainian counterpart.

The statement says the two ministers “welcome dialogue with (the) Canadian private sector to facilitate long-term agreements on LNG supply from Canada to Ukraine.

“They note Ukraine’s significant underground gas storage capacity and its potential contribution to regional energy resilience.”

Zelenskyy last visited Canada in December, stopping in Halifax.

Kyiv has suffered a barrage of Russian airstrikes in recent months and Ukraine has pleaded for more air defence support from its allies.

Since 2022, Canada has pledged $6.5 billion in military assistance for Ukraine running through to 2029.

The Kiel Institute, which measures global contributions to Ukraine, pegs Canada as the fourth most generous nation in raw dollars, and in 12th place based on gross domestic product. Canada’s donations include military aid, government financing and humanitarian support.

Ukraine has managed in recent months to hold back Russian advances and strike targets within Russia itself, including oil refineries and warehouses owned by Russia’s biggest online retailer.

Moscow has at times hinted at an end to the conflict, but Ukrainian and European officials have said the war should only end on terms that prevent Russia from rearming and attacking elsewhere.

Zelenskyy’s visit to Canada comes as European leaders argue Russia is widening its war through acts of sabotage, such as paying youths to vandalize railways. European airports have had to halt operations multiple times due to drone incursions attributed to Russia.

Across Europe, political parties once considered fringe over their support for Russia have seen their popularity increase as the continent tackles economic, environmental and migration crises.

Zelenskyy is also facing domestic pressure on his government, which was elected in 2019 and cannot call elections due to a constitutional ban on votes during martial law.

In July, Zelenskyy fired both his defence minister and military chief after days of protests. Opponents have accused him of involvement in various corruption scandals.

Later this month, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand will co-host a summit in Toronto focused on the return of Ukrainian children and prisoners of war.

Prime Minister Carney last visited Kyiv in August 2025. His predecessor Justin Trudeau visited Ukraine each year after Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 10, 2026.

— With files from Dylan Robertson in Ottawa