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Canada News & Trends
18/7 ·


French attacks help propel Canada to NATO front line

Canadian troops have been thrust into a leadership position with one of NATO's framework battalions in the Baltic states largely because the French have been tied down with military operations at home, CBC News has learned.

Canada announced at the recent Warsaw Summit that it would deploy at least 450 soldiers to Latvia, becoming one-of-four "framework" nations in a 4,000 person, high-readiness multinational brigade


But a series of government, defence and diplomatic sources tell CBC News that — until just recently — many discussions at NATO involved France joining the U.S., Britain and Germany as a lead nation in the combat unit, whose purpose is to deter Russian expansionism in eastern Europe.

Canada originally intended to play only a supporting role in one of those battalions, according to the sources and documents obtained by CBC News under access to information legislation.

The records show the issue was discussed by former defence minister Jason Kenney and his French counterpart in a telephone call prior to a NATO ministers meeting just over a year ago.

"France has signalled its intention to serve as a 'framework nation' for the Very High Readiness Task Force in the longer term," Kenney was told on June 5, 2015.

The documents say France was planning to be in the role until at least 2020.

Canada was, at the time the note was written, still "examining how best to contribute" to both the task force and other alliance measures.

Sources say that remained the position when the Liberals came to power last fall.

Source: cbc.ca



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