Canada Open to Non-Combat Military Training Mission in Ukraine: Defence Minister

Canada Open to Non-Combat Military Training Mission in Ukraine: Defence Minister
Defence Minster Bill Blair in a file photo. Blair Gable/Reuters
William Crooks
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Defence Minster Bill Blair says Canada is open to sending Canadian troops on a non-combat mission to train Ukrainian troops within Ukraine amid Russian warnings of  “tragic” consequences for any nation providing direct troop support to its adversary.

The move would only occur away from the war’s front lines and in a clearly defined non-combat role, Mr. Blair said in an interview with the Toronto Star on Feb. 29.
The defence minister shared insights from a recent security summit in Paris attended by NATO allies and other countries supporting Ukraine. French President Emmanuel Macron proposed the possibility of troop deployment after the summit, a suggestion that led to collective disavowal from Western allies, including Canada, of any combat troops being dispatched to the embattled nation.

Countering the West’s support for Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Feb. 29 warned of “tragic” consequences, including the spectre of a global nuclear war, for any country that deploys troops to support Ukraine.

Putin’s warning alluded to Russia’s capability to strike back and raised alarms about the potential for a nuclear conflict that could spell catastrophe for civilization.

Despite Mr. Putin’s remarks, Mr. Blair outlined Canada’s position: While firmly against sending combat troops, there is an openness to assume a non-combat role that could involve training Ukrainian soldiers in their country.

This stance aligns with a new security agreement with Ukraine, signed on Feb. 24, that provides for Canada’s openness to resuming training activities in Ukraine “when conditions permit.”

Mr. Blair stressed the delicate nature of such a mission.

“It has to be done in a fairly careful and limited way, the possibility of delivering training,” he said.

“I do not want to put Canadian Armed Forces personnel anywhere near a combat theatre that could create the perception that we are taking on any component of a combat role.”

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, when asked by reporters Feb. 27 about Canada sending troops to Ukraine, did not mention the possibility of training taking place directly in Ukraine.

“I have to emphasize the fact that our soldiers are there in Poland, and they’re directly working with Ukrainian soldiers,” she said, adding, “It’s really making a difference.”

Canada has deployed army medics to Poland to train Ukrainian troops as part of Operation Unifier.

Canada’s commitment to Ukraine’s military training is not new. Mr. Blair highlighted the ongoing small Canadian military presence in that country aimed at protecting Canadian diplomats. He also referenced Operation Unifier’s legacy of having trained thousands of Ukrainian soldiers, although the mission relocated to other countries following Russia’s invasion in 2022.

Mr. Blair noted that “some of that training is challenging because it’s difficult to get people out of Ukraine to do the training.”

He acknowledged that some allies at the summit thought such an operation in Ukraine might be misconstrued as taking a combat stance.

Following European leaders’ dismissal of Mr. Macron’s troop deployment suggestion, French Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu clarified the nature of the discussions. He said they were in line with Mr. Blair’s description, focusing on non-combat activities, like military training or demining, rather than engaging in warfare against Russia.

Since the start of the war on Feb. 24, 2022, Canada has committed $13.3 billion in support to Ukraine.
Reuters contributed to this report.