Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Latvian counterpart, Arturs Krišjānis Kariņš, appeared to signal a shift on Thursday to NATO’s own strategic vision ahead of its planned summit in Spain later this year.
Both leaders suggested that the alliance is shifting to a more assertive defensive presence in the Baltic region, in light of Russian atrocities seen in Ukraine, including Bucha and Mariupol. Trudeau also said that the idea NATO would push Russian forces back if they stepped foot into the alliance’s territory was “something we have to re-calculate.”
Trudeau also announced Canada would be sending a general and six staff officers to NATO’s Multinational Division North HQ in Ādaži, Latvia, in what appears to be an effort to sharpen its leadership role in the region. Hundreds of Canadian troops are already in the region, leading a battle group of about 1,500, but Trudeau said this would be a “first of its kind” unit in the Baltic Sea.
The prime ministers are expected to speak about the two countries’ partnership and security issues in the broader Baltic region. The foreign ministers of Canada and the three Baltic states – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – will meet in June.
The Canadian prime minister also spoke about how his government would continue to work to ensure abortion access nationwide, so the progress made would “not be rolled back” by future governments. He said that could possibly be done through legislation or leaving it in the hands of the medical association that has governance over the procedure, but said there are discussions on potential solutions.
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