The Department of Finance is refusing to disclose full details of Canada’s $22 billion in aid to Ukraine, blacking out budget line items in a memo prepared for Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne.Blacklock's Reporter says the May 20 briefing note acknowledged that Canada has provided the highest per capita support to Ukraine in the G7 and predicted Kyiv’s recovery will take a decade and more than half a trillion dollars. But when it came to the actual numbers, the department censored its own breakdown of spending, citing Access To Information exemptions tied to international affairs and trade secrets.The memo was released to Conservative MP Kelly McCauley, who chairs the Commons government operations committee..It came just after Prime Minister Mark Carney announced aid would rise from $20 billion to nearly $22 billion, including military assistance. “This is a critical moment where allies must step up and lead,” Carney said.According to the department, Ukraine is expected to need US$162.9 billion in foreign aid if the war drags into 2026, while postwar reconstruction is pegged at US$524 billion. Officials said the scale of rebuilding is “beyond the capacity of governments” and would rely heavily on private sector spending.Canadians remain split on the issue. Federal polling last year found many believe Canada’s contributions have had little impact, with interest in the conflict fading. A separate Finance report in 2023 showed 32% supported more aid even if it deepened the deficit, 35% opposed, and 33% had no opinion.
