Canada signs up to train Ukrainian combat troops
The Harper government went to extra lengths Tuesday to make it clear Canadian military trainers will not be in harm’s way when they deploy to western Ukraine to school battle-weary formations in the finer points of combat.
“These Canadian Armed Forces personnel will not be going anywhere remotely close to the conflict zone in eastern Ukraine,” Defence Minister Jason Kenney told a news conference.
The U.S.-led mission is unlikely to raise the temperature of the simmering conflict in eastern Europe, but that could change if Washington, Ottawa and other nations decide to permanently base troops in places like Poland and the Baltic states, which NATO is being urged to do.
Steve Saideman, the chair in international affairs at Carleton University in Ottawa, said Russia will likely make noise about the training mission and milk it for propaganda value, but likely won’t seek to retaliate.
“We still live in a nuclear world, and there are certain things Russia can do, and certain things Russian can’t do,” Saideman said.
“What I think the Russians would care more about was if the United States planted a brigade in Poland and another brigade strewn throughout the Baltics. “That would be much more upsetting to them.”
He says another cautionary line would be crossed if the West decided to ship arms and munitions to Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko’s government.
Canada is sending 200 military trainers to Ukraine sometime in early summer, joining the U.S. and Britain in a two-year commitment to work to improve the effectiveness of Ukrainian forces.
Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau immediately threw his support behind the mission saying “As a strong friend and ally of Ukraine, we need to make sure we’re doing what we can to help against the unacceptable Russian actions.”
Kenney said the training mission, which will cost about $13 million in the first year, is an important signal of deterrence and not a provocation.
“It is critically important the world, particularly NATO allies, send a strong signal to Vladimir Putin of deterrence and his aggression will not be rewarded, which is why we’ve been operating as part of Operation Reassurance with our NATO allies in eastern Europe.”