Defence Minister Anita Anand says Canada stays open to enhancing navy support to Ukraine amid rising tensions with Russia, a message she's going to convey to her Ukrainian counterpart throughout an upcoming journey to the nation.
In an interview on CTV’s Query Interval airing Sunday, Anand stated the best contribution Canada can present to Ukraine at the moment is human sources, touting the federal government’s announcement final week to increase and broaden Operation UNIFIER.
“We have now skilled over 30,000 Ukrainian troopers and our coaching in Ukraine has been universally acknowledged as necessary, particularly amongst our NATO allies, to the soundness and safety of Ukraine,” she stated.
“So when it comes to additional support, we placed on the desk non deadly weapons [last] week, we placed on the desk $120 million for financial stability the week earlier than and we are going to proceed to boost all choices when I'm assembly with Minister [Reznikov] within the coming days.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau introduced final Wednesday a three-year extension of the navy operation, which was scheduled to run out in March 2022. The federal government stated 60 extra Canadian troops, on high of the 200 already stationed there, might be deployed within the coming days.
The operation’s focus is to help with safety pressure coaching.
The dedication additionally features a cargo of non-lethal tools, intelligence sharing, and help to fight cyberattacks in response to escalating tensions on the western Ukraine border the place greater than 100,000 Russian troops have amassed, prompting issues of an imminent invasion.
Ukraine has requested Canada for deadly weapons, amongst different requests, as a type of deterrence of a Russian assault.
Andrii Bukvych, cost d'affaires on the Ukrainian Embassy to Canada, welcomed the federal government’s Wednesday announcement however pointed to a latest Abacus Information ballot that reveals a majority of Canadians are in favour or sending weapons to Ukraine.
“We're wanting ahead to see the subsequent sturdy steps in Canada earlier than the Russian boots step on the Ukrainian floor,” the assertion reads.
Requested whether or not Canada would contemplate redirecting million of dollars value of navy tools initially supposed for Kurdish forces in Iraq to Ukraine, Anand reiterated that each one choices stay on the desk.
“We'll proceed to contemplate all choices going ahead. That is the explanation I'm travelling to Ukraine, to put out our help for Ukraine and to make sure they know that we stay steadfast in our help on this time of unwarranted Russian aggression at their border,” she stated.
Russia continues to disclaim claims of an imminent invasion and states that troops are merely performing routine navy workout routines.
NATO Secretary Normal Jens Stoltenberg advised CTV Information Channel’s Energy Play final Friday that ought to Russia encroach additional, allies might be ready to impose “extreme sanctions.”
“There might be a excessive worth to pay for Russia. Financial, diplomatic, monetary sanctions which can be agreed [upon] amongst NATO allies,” he stated, including that Ukraine might be ready to defend itself.
“Ukraine has in fact a proper to self defence, that is enshrined within the UN constitution and subsequently we're serving to them in numerous methods to uphold that proper to self defence.”
Along with visiting Ukraine, Anand will journey to Latvia to fulfill with Canadian troops stationed there.
Minister of Nationwide Defence Anita Anand speaks throughout query interval within the Home of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
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