Trudeau: Canada to keep troops in Latvia indefinitely

Ottawa will stand up to deter any Russian threat, prime minister says

Canada will indefinitely extend its NATO mission in Latvia and keep troops in the Baltic state to deter any Russian threat as Moscow continues its military operations in Ukraine, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday.

“This is a moment for friends and allies to stand together,” Trudeau said as he visited NATO troops in Riga, Latvia, where Canada leads a 10-country NATO battlegroup mission. “And that’s exactly what we’re doing.”

The Toronto Star newspaper interviewed Canadian Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Wayne Eyre in Riga prior to the announcement and he said Canadian soldiers who are part of the battlegroup mission are on the “frontlines of freedom.”

“Our Latvian friends are just so happy to have us here,” Eyre said. “Everybody wants more Canada.”

That is not the case with Russia. Moscow posted a list of “unfriendly countries” on its government website March 7 and Canada is on the list, as is any country that imposed or added its name to sanctions against Russia because of the war.

What that means is all corporate dealings with companies or individuals on the list must receive official Russian government approval before proceeding. Also included are the US, UK, EU, Switzerland and not surprisingly, Ukraine.

Trudeau was joined in Riga by NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins and virtually by Estonian Prime Minister Katja Kallas and Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte.

“You are literally on the front lines of this challenge with Russia,” Trudeau said, adding that Canada has “been here for a number of years and will continue to be together … because we believe in a shared future of peace and prosperity for people and pushing back against the Russian aggression that is absolutely unacceptable.”