(OTTAWA) Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly says Canada has not yet decided whether to supply arms to Ukraine, even though its NATO ally, the United Kingdom, confirmed on Monday that would provide anti-tank weapons to the Ukrainian forces.
Posted at 7:00 p.m.
Mélanie Joly concludes her two-day visit to Ukrainian soil on Tuesday, the first leg of a tour of three European states which will take her to France and to the European Union headquarters in Brussels, where she will also meet partners from NATO.
His discussions with Canada’s military allies are taking place in the midst of a crisis amid serious fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.
During a joint press conference with her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba, Minister Joly told him that she had heard his request for military support and that she would make a decision in due course.
She said in English that Canada considers it important to play its part and that it is evaluating its options. The goal, she stressed, is to help strengthen Ukraine’s defense capabilities against the Russian threat.
In a message posted on Twitter, we can see a photo of the minister kneeling in front of a memorial. “Nearly 4,500 Ukrainian soldiers lost their lives in the war against Russia on the Eastern Front. The visit to the Wall of Remembrance in Kyiv reminds us why we must continue to support Ukraine, its people and its sovereignty. »
The Ukrainian diaspora in Canada represents a significant electoral weight with 1.4 million people. This community asked Ottawa to quickly provide arms to Ukraine to help it defend itself.
“It is very important that Minister Joly travel to Kiev to hear Ukrainians speak directly about the urgent need to obtain weapons for their defence,” commented the Director General of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, Ihor Michalchyshyn, on Tuesday.
“Canada should immediately provide defensive weapons to Ukraine as a deterrent against the growing threat of another Russian invasion rather than waiting to react to a potential invasion, should it occur. We must make war more expensive than peace in the eyes of Russia,” he said.
In Ottawa, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said Tuesday he was not in favor of arming Ukrainian troops, saying targeted economic sanctions were a better option.
“I am worried about taking the path of armament and military presence. I don’t want to see a situation that is already tense enough escalate, ”said Mr. Singh.
Russia has stationed about 100,000 troops along Ukraine’s eastern border, in addition to positioning tanks and other heavy artillery there. However, Vladimir Putin’s regime continues to deny any intention to invade Ukraine.
The Russians have asked for a guarantee from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization that Ukraine will never be admitted to the Western military alliance of 30 states. This request was firmly rejected by Canada, the United States and their allies.
Mélanie Joly described as “unacceptable” the Russian military positioning on the border. Russia is placing itself as an “aggressor”, she denounced, assuring that Canada stands up alongside Ukraine.
She made the comments after visiting Canadian troops participating in Operation UNIFIER to train Ukrainian forces.
The Ukrainian government has also asked Canada to extend its training mission beyond the deadline set for the end of March. Mélanie Joly seemed to confirm that this would be the case.
Joly leaves, Blinken arrives
For the next stage of her trip, the Minister of Foreign Affairs must go to Paris and Brussels. She will meet her counterparts from France and the European Union, Jean-Yves Le Drian and Josep Borrell, in addition to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
Mélanie Joly says Canada wants to work with its allies on a diplomatic solution to the dispute with Russia.
After the departure of M.me Joly is US Secretary of State Antony Blinken who is due to arrive in Kiev on Wednesday to meet with Minister Kuleba and President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“The past week has proven Europe’s strength and diplomatic unity in the face of Russian ultimatums,” Minister Kuleba observed on Tuesday.
“Now the question is, ‘What do we do next?’ I am convinced that the only way for Russia to prove that it does not really plan to attack Ukraine is to continue discussions within the frameworks that already exist,” he said.