Canada has no way to track weapons donated to Ukraine despite concerns arms could end up on black market
The Canadian Forces confirmed it is not taking part in NATO discussions underway to try to deal with the potential issue of arms smuggling from Ukraine. In April, the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation, noted that weapons are already being trafficked from Ukraine to organized crime groups.
Multiple defence sources tell this newspaper Canada has no idea about the whereabouts of the equipment it has provided to Ukraine as it does not actively monitor the distribution of the gear. At the time, Defence Minister Anita Anand said she couldn’t provide details about the weapons because of the need for operational security. But she added that Ukraine’s military did sign a declaration that weapons Canada provided wouldn’t be transferred to any other organization.
Czech defence minister Jana Cernochova recently told journalists it is up to the countries donating weapons to Ukraine to track the equipment. But she acknowledged that is difficult. “It’s hard to avoid trafficking or smuggling. We didn’t achieve it in former Yugoslavia and probably won’t avoid it in Ukraine,” Cernochova said.