The federal government on Thursday condemned Russia’s threats against Canada and any firms participating in a recently signed drone production cope with Ukraine.
The Kremlin’s foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova on Wednesday called Canada a “warmonger” nation for signing the deal, which is able to see Canadian-made drones head to the battlefield within the Russia-Ukraine war to be utilized by the Ukrainian military.
Zakharova added Russia had a right to reply and vowed to publish the addresses of all Canadian production facilities participating within the drone deal.
In an announcement to Global News responding to Zakharova’s comments, Global Affairs Canada said the federal government “condemns any threats made by Russia against Canadian entities.”
“Canada’s position is evident and unwavering: we stand firmly with Ukraine and with the Ukrainian people within the face of Russia’s unprovoked and unjustifiable invasion,” the department said.
“We proceed to sentence Russia’s aggression within the strongest possible terms and remain committed to supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and long-term security. There may be one aggressor on this war, and it’s Russia.”
Defence Minister David McGuinty, who signed the drone deal along with his Ukrainian counterpart late last month on the CANSEC defence trade show in Ottawa, told reporters the Russian comments were “not unexpected” and wouldn’t affect the agreement.
“We’ve seen this before,” he told reporters. “It’s not something they only direct at Canada, they direct it at other nations.
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“We might expect the Russians to be critical because they don’t appreciate the proven fact that NATO is coming together to help the country that’s in need.”
McGuinty added the Canadian Armed Forces were “monitoring things closely.”
The Department of National Defence says that under the deal, the drones might be made by the Ukrainian company Airlogix and Canadian drone maker Sentinel R&D, which is predicated out of Hamilton, Ont.
Each firms will make drone systems in Canada that can then be sent on to Ukraine’s military under the three way partnership.
Russia’s foreign ministry on Wednesday posted a picture of a red handprint over the Canadian government’s statement on the deal, and quoted Zakharova in saying Canada “has clearly moved to a qualitatively latest level of involvement within the Ukrainian crisis.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has sought drone production and technology-sharing agreements with several other NATO and G20 allies, as Ukraine uses drones to strike deeper into Russian territory and beat back Russia’s forces on the front lines.
In April, the Russian defence ministry published the European addresses of multiple Ukrainian drone manufacturers, warning such joint production ventures would escalate the conflict and result in “unpredictable consequences.”
“We consider this decision to be a deliberate step resulting in a pointy escalation of the military and political situation on your complete European continent and creeping transformation of those countries right into a strategic rear for Ukraine,” the ministry wrote on its Telegram channel.
The Kremlin has repeatedly accused Western nations of encouraging Ukraine to proceed the war, despite Russian President Vladimir Putin refusing to have interaction in peace talks unless his hardline objectives for the invasion are met.
The leaders of France, Germany and Britain met Zelenskyy in London last Sunday and backed his call for a ceasefire.
Putin told foreign reporters in St. Petersburg last week that he was willing to consult with European politicians but that they weren’t the precise people to broker an end to the war. He suggested that U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposals for peace could help end the fighting.
U.S.-brokered talks between Ukraine and Russia have largely broken down for the reason that U.S. began its war with Iran in late February.
On Monday, Zelenskyy said he had held positive talks with U.S. representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner during a visit an airport in Moldova’s capital, describing them as focused on ending the war.
In a social media post, he said the 2 sides discussed diplomatic prospects ahead of this month’s Group of Seven summit and that he had briefed the U.S. side on Ukraine’s assessment of Russia’s intentions.
—With files from The Associated Press and Reuters
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