OTTAWA --
Defence Minister Anita Anand says the federal government believes within the significance of bolstering NATO's jap flank in response to Russia's army buildup, and that discussions are underway round reinforcing Canada's assist in jap Europe.
But the minister, who was talking on Wednesday from the Latvian capital of Riga -- her final cease in a three-country tour that included visits to Ukraine and NATO headquarters in Brussels -- declined to say when a Canadian choice may come.
"On the present time, we're contemplating choices to strengthen in jap Europe," Anand informed The Canadian Press, including: "We're working with our allies and co-ordinating throughout the alliance."
She additionally didn't say particularly whether or not sending extra troops is an possibility. Her workplace wouldn't say whether or not an elevated army presence is on or off the desk.
"We're intently monitoring the safety state of affairs and are working with NATO allies to find out how greatest we will proceed to assist the safety of the Baltic states going ahead," her spokeswoman, Sabrina Kim, mentioned in a written assertion Wednesday.
Anand's feedback adopted a gathering with Latvian Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš, simply as america turned the most recent NATO member to commit extra forces to the area in response to fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby mentioned 2,000 extra American troops can be deployed to Poland and Germany whereas one other 1,000 can be shifted from Germany to Romania as an indication of U.S. commitments to NATO allies.
Denmark, Spain and the Netherlands have additionally elevated their army forces in jap Europe in latest weeks with the deployment of extra troops, fighter jets and warships.
Canada has had about 600 troops main a NATO battlegroup in Latvia tasked with defending in opposition to any Russian assault since 2017, together with round 200 army trainers in Ukraine, which isn't a NATO member.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau introduced final week that Canada was extending its coaching mission in Ukraine for an additional three years and can add one other 60 trainers as a part of a set of army help that features night-vision goggles and armoured vests.
Nonetheless, Ottawa has but to answer Latvian requires reinforcements from Canada and different NATO allies.
Anand mentioned considered one of her goals whereas in Europe has been to reassure buddies and allies that Canada continues to face shoulder to shoulder with them, at the same time as she consulted them on what extra it might do within the area.
"That is certainly one of many functions of my journey -- to make sure we're co-ordinating throughout the NATO alliance, and to reassure our allies that Canada is current. And Canada is intently following the state of affairs to organize for any eventuality."
On the similar time, she described Canada's present army contribution in Latvia as a "enormous deployment."
Anand's go to to Europe comes amid stalled talks between the U.S., NATO and Russia over Moscow's army buildup at Ukraine's borders, with rising fears throughout Europe that Russian President Vladimir Putin is poised to invade Ukraine.
Smaller NATO international locations like Latvia on the alliance's jap flank fear they might be subsequent, though Russia has mentioned it has no intention of initiating battle and is keen to proceed diplomatic efforts.
In his first public remarks on the standoff in additional than a month, Putin accused the U.S. and its allies of ignoring Russia's central safety calls for.
These calls for, which NATO has roundly rejected, embody promising to not let Ukraine joint the transatlantic army alliance and for NATO to withdraw all its forces from jap Europe. That would come with the Canadian-led battlegroup in Latvia.
Nonetheless, Putin additionally mentioned Moscow is keen to proceed speaking to ease tensions over Ukraine, suggesting a possible Russian invasion is probably not imminent and that at the least yet one more spherical of diplomacy is probably going.
Anand accused the Kremlin of getting began this newest disaster by deploying 100,000 troops to Ukraine's borders, and mentioned it was as much as Russia to ease the state of affairs and work towards a diplomatic resolution.
"The selection is on the desk for Russia to decide on de-escalation through diplomacy," she mentioned. "The safety of our NATO allies, together with within the Baltics, isn't negotiable."
This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed Feb. 2, 2022.
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With recordsdata from The Related Press.
Tents, shelters and deployments at a coaching floor in Angarsky, Crimea, on Feb. 1, 2022. (Maxar Applied sciences through AP)
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