While Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand concluded her two-day visit to Ukraine on January 31, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau participated in a special debate about Ukraine in the House of Commons, which ran to almost five hours.
“Canada has a long history of standing up to bullies, but standing up to bullies doesn’t mean that we want conflict,” said Trudeau, who appeared virtually after testing positive for COVID-19.
While the prime minister said that neither NATO nor Ukraine poses a threat to Russia or its security, he underscored that Canada would stand with both should Russia mount a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
“We’re always stronger together and we won’t be intimidated,” said Trudeau, who cited various military and financial assistance Canada has recently provided Ukraine.
However, Official Opposition Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole, who served in the Royal Canadian Air Force, said that Trudeau’s government has failed to provide Ukraine with lethal defensive weapons, which it needs most.
“Russia outnumbers Ukraine four to one in military personnel, 22 to one in fighter planes, 15 to one in attack helicopters and five to one in battle tanks,“
he said, noting that the current Liberal government relies on initiatives to support Ukraine, including the military training mission there, which were instituted by former prime minister Stephen Harper’s Conservative government in which O’Toole served.
Ukrainians are “asking for our help at their hour of need,” said O’Toole, who noted that the United States, the United Kingdom, Poland, Lithuania, Estonia and the Czech Republic have all provided Ukraine with lethal weapons.
In an interview prior to her first official visit to Ukraine as Canadian defense minister, Anand had told The Kyiv Post that lethal weapons would remain an option “on the table” when she met with Ukrainian counterpart Oleksii Reznikov, and other government officials January 31.
CBC News reported that Anand said she would discuss with Trudeau and cabinet colleagues what Ukraine needs. The top ask was “defense weapons to strengthen its ability to resist external aggression and deter Russia from power gambling,” according to a summary statement released by President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office. During Monday night’s take-note debate, called for by nine Liberal Members of Parliament to allow MPs a forum to share their views on a pressing domestic or international issue, Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly painted a grim picture.
“As we speak, there are 100,000 Russian troops along the border of Ukraine… They have tanks, missiles – they’re armed and are ready to go on the offensive. The threat is real. ….Vladimir Putin is trying to take control of another country, and that’s unacceptable… Canada has no choice but to support the democratic will of the Ukrainian people. When a foreign power tries to take control of any other country by force, all democracies in the world must help,“
said Joly.
Joly cited article 2.4 of the United Nations Charter that sets out that all members, including Russia, “shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.”
“The Russian government claims [it] values the UN Charter – they need to show it: de-escalate,” she added.
“Canada is resolute in supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence. We stand with Ukrainians and we are absolutely committed to a diplomatic solution.”
However, Joly warned that “any further aggression will have serious consequences, including coordinated economic sanctions with allies.”
The Canadian government seems to be preparing for a deteriorating situation.
Anand had earlier told reporters in Kyiv that Canada’s military training mission will be restricted to areas west of the River Dnipro, as fears grow that a Russian attack could take place at points east.
In 2021 the Canadian Armed Forces Operation Unifier relocated its headquarters from the International Peace and Security Center in Yayoriv, Lviv Region, to Kyiv. Launched in 2015, Canada’s military operation has concentrated its training efforts in western Ukraine, but has had sessions in cities like Kharkiv, which is just 55 km from the Russian border, as The Globe and Mail recently reported.
Citing security concerns as to why she couldn’t provide details on the decision, Anand acknowledged that Canada was acting on intelligence “consistent with our [NATO] allies about the rising threat of a Russian invasion.”
Anand reiterated in Kyiv that “Russia has a choice, and that choice is to negotiate with a view to de-escalation – and in the face of non-de-escalation, Russia will face severe sanctions and consequences.”
