Canada committed to Ukraine: Sajjan
Defence minister indicates military support will be ongoing
OTTAWA — Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan says the federal government is concerned about a new outbreak of fighting in Ukraine and is looking at ways to “improve” Canada’s military support to the country.
“I’m looking at the options right now in terms of how we can improve our support, what changes that we need to make,” Sajjan said Wednesday. “But one thing is for sure, that Canada remains committed to Ukraine.”
Government forces and Russian-backed rebels have traded heavy fire in eastern Ukraine over the past few days, killing at least 19 and injuring dozens more.
The fighting has caused power outages amid a strong cold snap, with temperatures as low as -18 C.
In the town of Avdiivka, hundreds of residents flocked to a humanitarian aid centre Wednesday to receive food and warm up.
In Donetsk, local residents reported incessant outgoing and incoming artillery salvos heard throughout the night and in the morning, an intensity the city has not seen in months.
The artillery barrage subsided during the day amid unconfirmed reports that the sides agreed to a ceasefire to restore electricity and water supplies — but resumed later in the evening.
The surge in violence is threatening to overturn a ceasefire in the three-year-old civil war that has been repeatedly broken by both sides, but is still seen as the best chance for peace.
It also comes amid uncertainty over U.S. intentions in the region, including whether it will continue to stand with Ukraine given Donald Trump’s comments about mending relations with Russia.
Canada first deployed about 200 troops to Ukraine in the summer of 2015 to help train government forces after Russia annexed Crimea and began supporting separatist forces in Ukraine’s Donbass region.
The mission, which Prime Minister Justin Trudeau toured during a visit to the country in July, has so far resulted in 2,600 Ukrainian troops being trained primarily in basic soldiering.
But the mission is set to expire at the end of March and the Liberal government has been non-committal on an extension despite public appeals from the Ukrainian government.
Sajjan’s comments, coming a few weeks after the British extended their training mission, are the strongest indication yet that Canada will maintain, and may even expand, its military presence in Ukraine.
Conservative defence critic James Bezan said he hopes the government not only extends the training mission, but expands military support in other ways. That includes providing military equipment and satellite imagery, as the previous Conservative government did.
Canada’s large and influential Ukrainian community has also made it clear it wants the government to continue providing military assistance.
But there have been misgivings inside the Canadian Forces, with some grumbles the military is being stretched thin as it prepares to send troops to Latvia and Africa while also supporting the mission in Iraq. There are also concerns about ongoing problems with corruption in the Ukrainian military.
Sajjan did not say when a decision would be made on whether to extend the mission, though officials say options have been drawn up by the military and will be presented to cabinet in the coming weeks.
— With files from The Associated Press