Ottawa is talking with allies about reinforcing a Canadian-led combat unit in Latvia as the NATO military alliance moves to reinforce its eastern front with Russia.
Latvia's ambassador to Canada revealed the discussions in an interview with The Canadian Press as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau prepares to attend a NATO summit later this week where Russia and its invasion of Ukraine will be top of mind.
Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February, NATO members agreed to create four more battlegroups in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia, effectively extending the alliance's eastern front from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea. The alliance is also dramatically increasing the number of forces on high readiness from 40,000 to 300,000, Stoltenberg said, so they can be deployed quickly in the event of war.
"We are moving in the right direction," Ozolins said. "The Canadians are leading the process. … This will be like a bit of a negotiation and discussion about who brings what." "Minister Anand remains in regular contact with Latvian Defence Minister Pabriks about Canada's further strengthening of its presence in the region," spokeswoman Sabrina Kim said in an email.
During a visit by Latvia's prime minister in May, Trudeau acknowledged the need to "recalculate" NATO's previous assumptions and what it considers acceptable with regards to an attack on the Baltics, noting the reports of mass atrocities by Russian troops in places like Bucha and Mariupol in Ukraine.
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