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(Brussels) Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will attend a meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on Monday, without saying whether Canada will reiterate its support for Ukraine but will back Kiev with the desire to join an alliance military. In the midst of tensions with Russia.
The federal government said last week that Canada would help address security threats in the region. However, Ottawa remained silent on Ukraine’s NATO membership during the summit.
Ukraine has called for joining NATO ahead of a face-to-face meeting between US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Geneva this week after years of strained relations between Moscow and the West.
Russian military constructions on the Ukrainian border, the occupation of Crimea by Moscow in 2014, allegations of Russian interference in the American elections and allegations that the Kremlin was behind the Solar Winds cyberattack have contributed to tensions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zhelensky has openly lobbied to join the military alliance, having recently held talks with Justin Trudeau and Joe Biden.
In a statement by the Office of the Prime Minister of Canada MM. Trudeau and Zhelensky exchanged views on the measures taken by Russia. During their talks last Tuesday, Justin Trudeau “expressed Canada’s continued support for Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations.”
When asked if Canada would support Ukraine in its efforts to join NATO, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Trudeau said nothing.
Global Affairs Canada did not answer this question either. Canada “firmly maintains its support for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine, as well as for the Ukrainian people,” the statement said.
He noted at the 2008 summit that the Allies had finally decided that Ukraine should “join†the organization.
Conservative support
The Government of Canada has already supported Ukraine’s membership in NATO.
Former Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper expressed Canada’s “strong support” for the demand, praising Ukraine’s democratic reforms and the shared values ​​of the two countries.
At the time, Mr. Harper called on leaders to agree to move forward with Ukraine’s entry into the process, and Canada pledged support for the bid, saying “the country is making progress. in democratic reform. Its economy.
The party still shares that view, a spokesperson for Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole said in a statement.
With the Associated Press.
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