Canada has dropped plans to supply banned guns collected in its national buyback program to Ukraine after officials in Kyiv showed little interest, and most of the firearms turned out to be unsuitable for combat.
Canadian Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree’s office confirmed the reversal, saying the idea “was not a practical or effective way” to aid Ukraine’s defense against Russia, Toronto Star reported.
The proposal was first announced in late 2023, when the Trudeau government expanded its prohibited firearms list to more than 2,500 models, building on an initial ban of about 1,500 models after the 2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting that required owners to either surrender the guns for compensation or have them deactivated.
After this move, Ottawa said it would work with the Ukrainian military to identify weapons from Canadian businesses that could be repurposed for combat. Then-Defense Minister Bill Blair said Ukraine had expressed interest in a small number of guns.
However, Anandasangaree’s office claimed the “vast majority” of the weapons were unsuitable because they did not meet NATO compliance standards. After Prime Minister Mark Carney took office, his government formally cancelled the plan.
Officials stressed the decision does not affect the government’s broader support, which has reached approximately 22 billion Canadian dollars ($15.8 billion) since Russia’s 2022 invasion, including 6.5 billion dollars ($4.6 billion) in military aid.
Domestic Backlash
The buyback plan has faced pushback from gun owners, provinces, and police groups, who say Ottawa is going after licensed owners rather than tackling smuggling and illegal firearms.
Tracey Wilson, public relations vice president of the Ontario-based gun lobby group Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights, said the reversal proves the guns were never fit for battle.
“It debunks the idea that they’re weapons of war,” Toronto Star quoted her as saying. “Otherwise Ukraine would want them all.”
Some police associations also questioned the program’s effectiveness and cost, with Toronto Police Association President Clayton Campbell saying most gun crime in the city comes from illegal, not registered, firearms, The Epoch Times reported.
Canada has budgeted about 750 million Canadian dollars ($539 million) for the buyback program. Earlier this month, a six-week pilot for individual owners began in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, with plans to expand nationwide later this year.
Alberta has said it will not participate, calling the initiative a “gun grab against law-abiding firearms owners.”