(Toronto) Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has united Western nations like never before and strengthened NATO, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said Friday.
Posted at 3:34 p.m.
Updated at 4:41 p.m.
In a speech at the Munk School of International Affairs at the University of Toronto, Mr.me Joly said “there’s nothing quite like having a single villain” to join forces against.
” President [Vladimir] Putin has sought to divide the West and exploit our differences, but we are more united than ever,” she argued.
The minister said Washington’s strategy of leaking intelligence information about Russian troop movements on Ukrainian borders before the invasion helped prevent Moscow from winning this war.
“It helped prevent the war for a while. And that helped the Ukrainians to prepare, especially militarily, but also [nous a aidés], as governments, to be ready for what was to come, she added. And that helped unite Europeans and North Americans on the issue, which was really important. »
Mme Joly reiterated that the government is ready to bring in an unlimited number of Ukrainian refugees and that officials are considering possible air bridges from neighboring countries in Europe to bring them to Canada.
More than 3.5 million Ukrainians have fled the country since the Russian invasion began 23 days ago.
Asked about US intelligence and Russian propaganda in recent days that raise the possibility of a chemical or nuclear attack in Ukraine, Ms.me Joly said she was “very worried”. She believes that this war represents the greatest threat to world peace since the Second World War.
Minister Joly also said social media companies need to do more to prevent the propaganda and misinformation that she says has been a key part of this conflict.