CANADA WITHDRAWS STAFF FROM UKRAINE
‘Non-essential’ workers pulled from embassy
• Global Affairs Canada says “non-essential” Canadian employees at the embassy in Ukraine and their dependents will be temporarily withdrawn amid concerns over a buildup of Russian troops along the country’s borders.
A statement released Sunday says officials are monitoring the situation and their highest priority is the safety of Canadians, for whom the embassy remains open.
The move comes after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced supports for Ukraine last week, including expanding Canada’s efforts to train the Ukrainian military and sending non-lethal military equipment, such as body armour.
Trudeau stressed at a news conference last Wednesday that “this is not a combat mission,” but it’s intended to help Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression.
Russia has positioned about 120,000 troops along the border, raising fears across Europe and the NATO military alliance of an invasion, something Russia has denied.
The statement from Global Affairs says the team at the Canadian Embassy in Kyiv will be reinforced by officials with expertise in areas such as conflict management, democratic reform and consular services, helping to increase diplomatic capacity.
Much of the current standoff between Russia and NATO has revolved around Moscow’s demand that Ukraine never be allowed into the transatlantic military alliance, which includes Canada, the United States and 28 European countries.
The Kremlin has also demanded that NATO withdraw all its forces from the territory of member states that once belonged to the Soviet Union.
The alliance has rejected the demand, leading to fears of a new war in Europe.
With a $340-million commitment to extend Canada’s training mission in Ukraine for three years, the prime minister said last week that he had authorized the Canadian Armed Forces to deploy 60 personnel to join the 200 troops already on the ground, with further capacity to increase that number to 400.
Trudeau also committed $50 million in development and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, on top of a $120-million loan offered to help stabilize its economy.
On Sunday, NATO said Europe needs to diversify its energy supplies, as Britain warned it was “highly likely” that Russia, the continent’s biggest natural gas supplier, was looking to invade Ukraine.
U.S. officials said on Saturday Russia’s military buildup had been expanded to include supplies to treat casualties of any conflict. In Ukraine, locals trained as army reservists as the government scrambled to prepare.
Moscow denies any plan to invade but said on Sunday it would ask NATO to clarify whether it intends to implement key security commitments, after earlier saying the alliance’s response to its demands did not go far enough.
“If they do not intend to do so, then they should explain why,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on state television. “This will be a key question in determining our future proposals.”
The U.S., which has threatened Russia with major new sanctions if it invades Ukraine, has said it is waiting to hear back from Moscow. It says NATO will not withdraw from eastern Europe or bar Ukraine from joining NATO, but it is prepared to discuss arms control and confidence-building measures.
U.S. senators are very close to agreeing on sanctions legislation, the two leading lawmakers working on the bill said on Sunday. Measures include targeting the most significant Russian banks and Russian sovereign debt as well as offering more lethal assistance to Ukraine.
Britain said Sunday it would expand the scope of its own possible sanctions in legislation this week to deter Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“We think it’s highly likely that he is looking to invade Ukraine. That is why we’re doing all we can through deterrence and diplomacy, to urge him to desist,” Foreign Secretary Liz Truss told BBC television.
Asked if the new powers could include the ability to seize property in London, Truss said: “Nothing is off the table.”
The Biden administration plans to spare everyday Russians from the brunt of U.S. export controls if Russia invades Ukraine, and focus on targeting industrial sectors, a White House official said on Saturday. A top Commerce official said earlier that key people would face “massive sanctions.”