Canada extends Iraq and Ukraine military missions to 2021 and 2022

By: The Canadian Press

Canada is extending its military missions in Ukraine and Iraq, both of which were due to expire at the end of the month.

The extensions shore up Canada’s contributions to the global effort to curb Russian aggression in Eastern Europe and to the fight against Islamic militants in the Middle East.

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan and Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland say the mission of about 200 Canadian Forces personnel in Ukraine will be extended to the end of March 2022.


The Forces have been involved in Ukraine since September 2015, helping train the country’s military, which is battling Russian-backed separatist forces.

Canada will extend the Canadian Forces’ contribution to the Global Coalition Against Daesh and the NATO mission in Iraq, until the end of March 2021.

Canada has about 500 military members in Iraq, including 200 who are part of a NATO training mission and 120 special forces who have been helping Iraqi forces root out Islamic State insurgents around the northern city of Mosul.

Those are parts of Canada’s larger Middle East strategy, which also includes humanitarian assistance and diplomatic engagement in Iraq, Syria and the surrounding region.

The decision to extend Canada’s commitment in Ukraine will be welcome news to that country as it continues to cope with Russia’s annexation of its Crimea region in 2014, and the continuing unrest in its eastern Donbass region, which is plagued by separatist rebels backed by Moscow.

“The people of Ukraine know they can count on Canada,” Freeland said in a statement. “We are steadfast in our commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as it works toward a stable, democratic and prosperous future.”

Ukraine is bracing for Russian interference in its upcoming presidential election on March 31.

Former foreign-affairs minister Lloyd Axworthy is leading a delegation of Canadian election monitors to Ukraine.

Freeland said Canada will host an international conference on Ukraine’s economy and political reforms in July that will include foreign ministers from the European Union, the G7 and NATO countries.

Ottawa Quietly Expands CAF Footprint in Ukraine

By: Lee Berthiaume, The Canadian Press

The military has quietly expanded its footprint in Ukraine, giving commanders free rein to send their troops anywhere — except where they might run into Russian forces or separatist rebels.

Canada first deployed about 200 troops to Ukraine in the summer of 2015 to help train government forces in their fight against Russian-backed separatists in the eastern part of the country.

But the Canadians were required to stay in the western half of Ukraine, far from the conflict that has continued to rage over the intervening two years, leaving more than 10,000 people dead.

Those restrictions were eased in March when the government extended the mission for another two years, the mission’s commander, Lt.-Col. Mark Lubiniecki, said in an interview Wednesday.

While Canadian troops are still required to stay away from the border with Russia and the fighting in eastern Ukraine, he said, the rest of the country is now fair game.

The change, Lubiniecki added, has given welcome flexibility to the Canadian mission, which has so far trained nearly 4,500 Ukrainian troops, many of whom have since been sent into the conflict zone.

The number of Canadian soldiers in Ukraine remains the same.

Lubiniecki would not reveal how far his troops have to stay from the Russian border, except to say that it is far enough away to keep them safe and prevent anyone from misinterpreting they they are in Ukraine.

“We’re here to provide mentorship and training, we’re not here to be operating on the front line,” he said. “So making sure we maintain that buffer is extremely important for us.”

The training mission is set to expire in 2019.

The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights released a report this week on the conflict in eastern Ukraine, asserting that an end to the three-year-old war was nowhere to be seen.

Fighting continues to erupt despite the existence of a ceasefire, while more than 1.6 million people have been forced to flee their homes and another 3 million are struggling to make ends meet.

Canada’s presence in eastern Europe is actually set to expand over the next few months, as about 450 troops arrive in Latvia to lead a NATO force that will serve as a check on Russian aggression.

One of the concerns trumpeted by both Canadian and Latvian officials is that Russia, or at least pro-Russian agitators, will attempt to spread lies and false information about the mission there.

But Lubiniecki said his troops in Ukraine have so far been spared from any such information attacks, saying: “I’m just not seeing it (on the ground) right now.”

That applies to cyberattacks, as well.

Moscow and its separatist allies in eastern Ukraine aren’t the only threats that Kyiv is struggling to address: corruption is also one of several significant problems.

The Ukrainian military and its defence sector have not been spared, as outlined in recent months by various media reports as well as investigations by NGOs such as Transparency International.

Much of the concern has focused on whether Ukrainian government officials have been enriching themselves by skimming defence contracts or diverting equipment donated by countries like Canada.

Transparency International released a report last month saying improvements have been made, but more needs to be done to ensure foreign donations get to the Ukrainian troops who actually need it.

Canada has so far provided about $16-million in non-lethal equipment such as helmets, bulletproof vests and winter clothing to the Ukrainian military, and promised another $7.25-million by 2019.

Lubiniecki said he has not seen any evidence of corruption during his time in the country, and that the Ukrainian soldiers his troops are training are well equipped and motivated.

Canada is Considering its Next Military Deployments

By: Bruce Campion-Smith, The Toronto Star 

OTTAWA—Canada's military is facing a critical few weeks as the federal government weighs renewed deployments to Iraq and Ukraine, ponders the fate of a long-awaited peace mission, lays out a new vision for the armed forces and decides the budget to pay for it all.

It all sets the stage for what promises to be a busy year for Canadian soldiers — one that could leave supply lines stretched — as they continue ongoing deployments in eastern Europe, the Middle East, embark on a new mission to Latvia and finally move ahead on the peace mission that could take them to Africa.

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan used his oft-repeated line Tuesday that the Liberal government is taking the time it needs.

“We want to make sure that we actually spend the time to get the analysis right and that it goes through the appropriate government process before we make any announcements,” Sajjan said after a cabinet meeting.

In the meantime though, the defence department hangs in limbo as it waits for announcements.


“There’s a lot of uncertainty,” said Dave Perry, a senior analyst with the Canadian Global Affairs Institute.

Military deployments to Ukraine and Iraq are due to expire in March though observers expect both missions to be extended.

The former Conservative government dispatched 200 Canadian troops to Ukraine in 2015 in a non-combat role to train local soldiers, as part of efforts to bolster eastern European countries in the wake of Russia’s annexation of Crimea. It’s expected that a renewed mission in Ukraine will be announced soon.

“Canada is dedicated to the future good fortune of Ukraine. I am preparing options for the government to consider,” Gen. Jonathan Vance, the chief of defence staff, said last week.

Vance said the military has also laid the groundwork to continue its deployment in Iraq, where some 200 special forces soldiers are helping train and advise Peshmerga troops in their fight against Daesh near Mosul. The military operates a hospital near Erbil that has treated 100 patients since November while an air-to-air tanker and surveillance aircraft operate out of airfields in Kuwait.

“Canada is committed to this coalition and options will go before government on how to stay committed to it,” Vance said.

The big question mark continues to hang over the Liberals’ peace mission. After an announcement last August that the government could deploy up to 600 soldiers and 150 police officers on such a mission, a flurry of fact-finding trips to Africa by cabinet ministers, and promises of a decision by Christmas, the file has gone quiet since Donald Trump’s election as U.S. president.

Vance said the world has “changed a little bit” since planning for the mission began and said the government now needs to weigh those changes before deciding where troops are best deployed.

“The government has options before it but I think we’re finding that kind of set piece decision-making doesn’t work very well sometimes in a very, very fluid world where things are changing,” Vance told reporters.

“Where will coalition efforts occur next? What are our allies doing? What do they think?” Vance said.

Since taking over, Trump’s administration has turned up the heat on NATO member nations to pony up more for defence. The Liberal government has made the case that it matters more what Canada — which ranks near the bottom of the spending list — does with its military rather than simply measuring the bottom line. But that dynamic could be forcing the government to reframe its peace mission to account for U.S. concerns.

“I guess it’s understandable that the government wants to wait and see how the security environment unfolds given the U.S. election,” Perry said.

“They may be looking to make sure that any kind of operation we do is connected as much as it possibly could be to a broader alliance,” he said.

Still, the delay in an announcement has likely meant that plans conceived last fall will have to be updated,” Perry said.

“The mission doesn’t sit static, frozen in time while Canada decides whether or not we’re going to participate,” he said.

The other two big pieces of the defence puzzle are the upcoming budget — expected in the coming weeks — and the defence policy review which will lay out a new blueprint for the Canadian Armed Forces for the next 20 years.

According to the government, that strategy will deliver “a modern, more agile and better-equipped military.” It’s expected to touch on everything from procurement process, to whether the navy should have subs, what kind of fighter jets are required for the air force to how the military looks after its personnel.

“What are the capabilities that are required for this and what investment is going to be needed,” Sajjan said during a visit to NATO headquarters earlier this month. “Yes, we will be investing.”

But Perry said the military — which has a budget of $18.6 billion in 2016-17 — needs more money just to maintain the status quo.

“Unless the government directs them to do fewer things than it’s done before, they can’t make do with the existing funding,” he said.

Canada set to Renew OP UNIFIER in Ukraine

By: ROBERT FIFE AND MARK MACKINNON, The Globe and Mail 

Canada is set to renew a military mission training Ukrainian troops to confront Russia-backed separatists in the east of Ukraine, despite concerns in Kiev over delays in announcing the extension of the program.

The Trudeau cabinet has not yet announced the extension of the two-year-old non-combat mission, dubbed Operation Unifier, which expires on March 31. The silence has sparked worries in Kiev, where the Ukrainian government is anxious for Western reassurance following the election of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has expressed interest in striking some kind of bargain with Russian President Vladimir Putin that could include lowering U.S. sanctions imposed over Moscow’s role in Ukraine.

“The longer it takes to [extend] the mission, the more our concern is rising,” Ukraine’s deputy foreign minister, Vadym Prystaiko, told The Globe and Mail in an interview at his office in Kiev.

But a senior Canadian government official said Ukraine didn’t need to worry about the future of Operation Unifier, which has seen a rotating contingent of 200 Canadian troops train more than 3,100 Ukrainian soldiers since arriving in the country two years ago.

“Canada understands that Ukraine, and everybody who is a stakeholder and supporter, really wants mission renewal,” the senior official said. “There is nothing unique about going through a mission renewal process and there is absolutely nothing unique about how this one is being done. It is a routine renewal from a government that has been making positive signs.”

Mr. Prystaiko said Ukraine was broadly concerned by the Liberal government’s efforts to rebuild relations between Ottawa and Moscow, which were in a deep freeze under former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper, who famously told Mr. Putin to his face that he needed to “get out of Ukraine.”

The efforts of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government to restart contacts with Russia via forums such as the Arctic Council have rung alarm bells in Kiev, which is concerned that Canada’s previously unwavering support for Ukraine may be weakening.

“Each and every thing – even if it’s not connected [to the war in Ukraine] – will be used by Russia back home to say, ‘Look, these bloody Westerners, they realize they were wrong, they are looking for ways to reconnect with us,’” Mr. Prystaiko said.

But the senior Canadian government official noted that as recently as Friday, Chief of the Defence Staff General Jonathan Vance reiterated Canada’s support for Ukraine at a conference in Ottawa. Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan has also repeatedly expressed Canada’s support for Ukraine, as has Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland.

Ms. Freeland, in particular, is seen in Kiev and Moscow as a staunch backer of Ukraine, having opposed many of her predecessor Stéphane Dion’s efforts to reach out to Russia during his 14-month stint as foreign minister. Ms. Freeland is among 13 Canadians who are barred from entering Russia under sanctions imposed by Moscow in retaliation for Canada’s own measures targeting Russian and Ukrainian politicians over the annexation of Crimea and the war in Ukraine’s Donbass.

Canada, Britain and the United States have had military trainers in Ukraine since the summer of 2015, arriving one year after Moscow – furious over a pro-Western revolution in Kiev – annexed the Crimean Peninsula and helped stir up a separatist insurgency in Ukraine’s Donetsk and Lugansk regions.

More than 10,000 people have been killed in three years of fighting, which has spiked again in recent weeks after a relative lull during the second half of 2016. Alexander Hug, deputy head of a monitoring mission deployed by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, told The Globe and Mail that the situation around the front line is currently “very unstable” and that a serious escalation is possible.

While Russia has helped the separatists build a formidable army – the self-declared “people’s republics” of Donetsk and Lugansk are estimated to possess some 700 tanks, more than the combined German, French and Italian armies – Ukraine has been reliant on Western military training and other non-lethal aid to help it combat a foe that at times has had the support of regular Russian soldiers.

In addition to basic infantry tactics, the Canadian troops taking part in Operation Unifier have given crash courses to Ukrainian soldiers in subjects ranging from combat first aid to the handling and disposal of explosives.

The training is done at a former Soviet military base in the western Ukrainian town of Yavoriv, some 1,200 kilometres from the front line. The current rotation of Canadian troops are drawn primarily from the 3rd Canadian Division, while 200 members of the 1st Battalion of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry are currently training in Edmonton for an expected March 1 deployment.

Britain announced in January that it would renew its own training mission in Ukraine. U.S. military trainers are committed until 2020.

The recent surge in fighting around Donetsk and Lugansk comes amid confusion about the depth of U.S. political support for Ukraine under the new Trump administration.

Russia, meanwhile, hasn’t wavered in its backing of the separatists. Mr. Putin announced on Saturday that his government would begin recognizing passports and other documents issued by the Donetsk and Lugansk “people’s republics.”

The move was condemned as “alarming” by the U.S. Embassy in Kiev, but the Ukrainian government is worried by the lack of public support from Mr. Trump, who has repeatedly said he wants to see a better relationship between Washington and Moscow. The Kremlin, in turn, has been forced to repeatedly deny accusations it aided Mr. Trump’s run to the White House by hacking e-mail accounts and spreading disinformation.

Exercise MAPLE ARCH 16: Fostering international military relations in Eastern Europe

CAF Army Press Release

The opening ceremony for Exercise MAPLE ARCH 16 (MA16) was held today at the International Peacekeeping and Security Center (IPSC) in YAVORIV, located near LVIV, Ukraine. Approximately 200 military personnel from Canada, Ukraine, Poland, and Lithuania gathered on the parade square to mark the beginning of the exercise as their national flags were raised to the sound of their countries’ national anthems.

A soldier from Poland, Lithuania, Canada, and Ukraine salute during the national anthems at the opening ceremony for Exercise MAPLE ARCH 16 in YAVORIV, Ukraine on November 7, 2016.

The NATO’s Partnership for Peace (PfP) exercise MAPLE ARCH (MA) is a series of annual joint exercises that have been traditionally hosted on a rotational basis between Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine under NATO’s PfP program.

Exercise MAPLE ARCH 16 is a 10-day command post exercise (CPX) focussed on combat, peacekeeping and stability operations to ensure a safe and secure environment within an identified operating area. This year’s exercise will be conducted from 7 Nov - 18 Nov 2016 in Ukraine.

In addition to the activities related to the MA16 scenario, the Canadian Contingent will also participate in a Remembrance Day ceremony along with their brothers and sisters in arms from Op Unifier, Canada’s contribution to support Ukrainian forces through capacity building, in coordination 

DND/CAF has been supporting EX MA through the Military Training Cooperation Program since planning for the first exercise began in 1994, in accordance with the Program’s Treasury Board mandate to enhance PSOinteroperability among Canada’s partners and achieve influence in areas of strategic interest to Canada.

The MAPLE ARCH series provides an opportunity for the Canadian Army (CA) to foster international military relations through the conduct of a multinational exercise; enhance interoperability among troop contributing nations using common SOPs, the Military Decision Making Process (MDMP) and the Operational Planning Process (OPP); and promote collective competence and confidence.

Canadian Military Police Prepare Ukrainians for NATO-led Exercise

Military Police instructors with Joint Task Force – Ukraine provide feedback after a practical vehicle checkpoint lesson at the International Peacekeeping and Security Centre in Starychi, Ukraine during Operation UNIFIER on September 12, 2016. (Photo: Joint Task Force – Ukraine)

By: Lieutenant (N) Aaron Lutter, Second in Command of MP Field Training

On September 24, 2016, a Ukrainian Military Law and Order Service (MLOS) Field Platoon successfully completed three weeks of training under the guidance of the Canadian Armed Forces Military Police (MP) at the International Peacekeeping and Security Centre in Starychi, Ukraine.

In September of 2015, the Chiefs of Defence of Ukraine, Lithuania, and Poland agreed to provide a multinational MP company in support of a multinational brigade at a NATO-led exercise to be held in 2017. Given Canada’s recent experience in conducting similar training missions, the Ukrainian MLOS looked specifically to Canada to provide baseline training for their contribution in preparation for that commitment.



“I am convinced that the experience gained through this training will enable these Ukrainian students to effectively perform their duties, be it as part of a multinational exercise or while deployed in the operations zone,” said Major Jade Watson, Deputy Commander of Joint Task Force - Ukraine.

Development and translation of the training syllabus commenced ten weeks prior to deployment. A team of three MP Officers, and two MP Non-Commissioned Members was selected, based on their background and experience in field MP operations. Their first task was to build a training package to include duties and responsibilities of a field MP Platoon with a focus on NATO interoperability. Concurrent with the curriculum development, the MLOS Platoon began internal training to reinforce individual soldier skills, in a manner similar to how Canada soldiers complete annual Individual Battle Task Standards training. Additionally, Operation UNIFIER personnel provided valuable assistance and support through provision of Combat First Aid and Explosive Threat and Hazard Awareness and Recognition training.

The MP team arrived in Ukraine in two groups: an advance party on August 24 and the remainder on September 3, 2016. Training began on September 5. In keeping with the Op UNIFIER battle rhythm, training was conducted six days a week. To best prepare the MLOS Platoon for NATO duties, instructional material centred on the five NATO MP functions: mobility support, security, detention, police functions, and stability police functions.

Classes consisted of theory and practical exercises, and included duties and responsibilities typically assigned a field MP Platoon. These duties included a wide array of tasks such as conduct of Command Post operations, NATO orders format, route reconnaissance, Prisoner of War and detainee handling, site exploitation, refugee and straggler control, rear area security, traffic control, and policing in failed and failing states.

“We were able to learn lots of important new skills on this course, and further improve several skills that we already had. This training has certainly helped prepare us for next year’s exercise,” said Senior Lieutenant Sergii Orlov, Ukrainian MLOS Platoon Commander.

The training package culminated in a three day field exercise, which challenged the MLOS Platoon in all aspects of field MP duties, and confirmed the knowledge and skills gained over the training period. Throughout the scenarios the Ukrainian students demonstrated at every opportunity that they are well prepared to effectively contribute to the multinational MP company in 2017 or on deployed operations.

R22eR Soldiers pass on life-saving tips to Ukrainian troops

By: Mathew Fisher, National Post 

YAVORIV, Ukraine — Seven thousand kilometres from Quebec, but only 10 hours by road from the bloody battlefields of eastern Ukraine, about 200 soldiers mostly from Canada’s storied Royal 22nd Regiment, the Vandoos, are helping to prepare Ukrainian infantry, medics and combat engineers to defend their country against Russian-backed separatists.

More than anything, the Canadian training mission, which began last summer near the Slovak and Polish borders, tries to instil NATO fighting principles and western ethics.

“They are very highly motivated,” said Maj. Bruno Turmel, deputy commander of the Vandoo company which has been here since January. “What they are learning is to be inter-operable with us and the Americans and all the other partners that are here and to build their war fighting capacity and capability.

Turmel, who served twice as a military trainer to Afghan security forces, said he had learned “a lot from the Ukrainian officers and soldiers. They are patriotic and many of them have combat experience.”

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The Vandoos replaced mentors from the Ontario-based Royal Canadian Regiment, who started the mission last August, and will be succeeded next month by the western-based Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry.

The training mission was set up by the Harper government in reply to a request for help from Kyiv, which does not have enough resources to defend itself from its much larger and wealthier neighbour, Russia.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who will be in Warsaw this weekend for the NATO leaders’ summit, will discuss whether to continue the training program when he meets Ukrainian leaders in Kyiv afterward.

The Canadians have seven different “lines of effort” taking place simultaneously at several locations around the country. But most of the troops work in a sprawling Ukrainian army base outside Yavoriv, where the training ground is nestled in green hills reminiscent of Quebec’s Eastern Townships.

The longest course offered by the Canadians lasts 55 days. It teaches basic and small unit fighting skills to infantry. There are also leadership courses for senior non-commissioned officers, courses for military police and anti-mining training.

One of the key areas is teaching Ukrainian medics battlefield emergency treatment practises. Such skills are urgently needed as the brutal war in the east grinds on.

Sgt. Yann Gauthier, who did three combat tours as a medic in Afghanistan, was amazed at how quickly some of his students applied the lessons he taught.

“Within a week after graduation, they can go directly to war,” he said.

About 70 per cent of the Canadian trainers — including three of the five medics teaching combat first aid and more specialized course — served in Afghanistan.

That experience “helps me a lot here,” Gauthier said. “It gives me credibility with the Ukrainians. Whether it is on the battlefield in Afghanistan or Ukraine, the body needs the same thing if it is bleeding to death. The techniques are almost the same so we can apply what we learned in Afghanistan.”

Instructor/soldier Arthur Woichenko describes the course offered by the Canadians as “priceless.”

“You can tell when a person already has some experience on the battlefield and has experienced that with his own blood. Looking him in the ey,e you feel it and understand why such methodologies and so important,” he said.

“I have participated in other courses before and we only got basic knowledge. Here, we get practical tasks. I have crossed out what I knew beforehand and absorbed all the information like a sponge because it was so important.”

Graduates are also given a combat first aid kid worth $350.

One of the goals of the 13 NATO nations training Ukrainian forces is to wean them from their top-down Soviet-style leadership and delegate more decisions to junior officers and sergeants.

“The culture is definitely different than what we are used to working with. The decision-making is more highly concentrated in the higher echelons,” said Maj. Jean-François Lamarche, a combat veteran in Kandahar who mostly works in the field with Ukrainian platoons during the 55-day courses.

Although the program had been “quite successful … of course there has been some resistance. It is a new way of thinking for them. But we are not teaching them this as ‘100 per cent the way to go.’ What we do is present them with a way to do things.”

Lt. Alexei Chebutav, who fought Russian-backed forces around the rebel-held city of Donetsk, said there was much to recommend the Canadian approach.

“In the Canadian Armed Forces the accent is on non-commissioned officers,” he said. “In the Ukrainian army a lot of instructors still act according to the rules of the Soviet time.”

“I always tell my soldiers that the experience we get with you can help to save our lives,” Chebutav told his mentor, Lamarche, as their course wound down Monday.

“You leave your souls here and our guys appreciate it very much.”

CAF Sends More Troops to Ukraine

Written by: Murray Brewster, The Canadian Press

OTTAWA — A fresh contingent of Canadian troops has arrived in eastern Europe to take part in NATO exercises meant to reassure jittery allies and the deployment follows a spike in violence between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists.

More than 100 soldiers from the 1st Battalion, the Royal 22e Regiment of Valcartier, Que., will conduct training in Poland and Romania — far from the eastern front lines — and are separate from a U.S-led training mission in western Ukraine.

Senior American officials have expressed "deep concern" about the number of ceasefire violations reported by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in breakaway regions of Ukraine.

The Canadian commander, Maj. Eric Beauchamp, says his troops don't necessarily feel the tension, but they get a clear sense eastern European soldiers are happy to see them.

"Even if we are a small detachment that is going to train with them, they appreciate this and they want the world to know we are there," he said in a recent interview with The Canadian Press. "Because of the tension, the effect we have here is really tangible and we see it."

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan and his parliamentary secretary, Liberal MP John McKay, are in the region this week, meeting officials in Ukraine, Germany and Poland.

The trip is seen as a political reassurance mission on top of the military contribution.

In a conference call from Germany late Wednesday, Sajjan said that Russia's partial withdrawl from Syria will not mean a softening of Canadian policy — or sanctions imposed in the wake of the annexation of Crimea, which began two years ago Wednesday.

"Our support for Ukraine remains solid," he said. "I'm hopeful — as I mentioned to my counterparts in Ukraine — that Mr. Putin would make a similar statement about withdrawing troops from Ukraine."

The war in that part of the world has largely slipped from the headlines in many western countries, replaced by daily accounts of the conflict with the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant.

Russia's annexation of Crimea was followed a few months later by an uprising in two eastern Ukrainian districts, known as oblasts.

That set off a wave of sanctions from western governments and fears among eastern European countries that Russian President Vladimir Putin's ambitions would not stop at the Ukraine border. Many of those countries are new members of NATO, who would demand help should their territory be violated.

Last year, the U.S.-based Pew Research Centre conducted an exhaustive public opinion study among the military alliance's member nations.

While many see Russia as a military threat, there is a general reluctance to send military aid to Ukraine. Even more significant, the study found at least half of Germans, French and Italians say their country should not use military force to defend a NATO ally attacked by Russia.

"Americans and Canadians are the only publics where more than half think their country should use military action if Russia attacks a fellow NATO member (56 per cent and 53 per cent respectively)," said the study published on June 10, 2015.

The report also said that NATO members were more receptive to sending economic, rather military aid to Ukraine.

Sajjan said the issue of sending lethal aid to Ukraine did not come up in his meetings with officials.

Murray Brewster, The Canadian Press

5 CMBG deploys to Ukraine on Operation UNIFIER

DND Press Release:

January 10, 2016 - Ottawa

Starting January 10 and throughout the rest of the month, the first group of approximately 200 Canadian Army (CA) soldiers from 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (5 CMBG), based in Valcartier, Quebec, will be deploying to Ukraine for Operation (Op) UNIFIER. They will be relieving their counterparts from 2 CMBG, based in Petawawa, Ontario, who will be returning home throughout January, having completed military training activities in support of Canada’s response to requests for assistance from the Government of Ukraine.

Quick Facts

• Op UNIFIER is Canada’s military training mission to Ukraine. All training activities with the Ukrainian Armed Forces are coordinated with the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense and focused on increasing the capacity of Ukraine in order to assist in maintaining its territorial integrity and sovereignty. 
• This is not a combat mission, but rather a capacity building mission taking place jointly with the US military and other partners. Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) personnel are located in western Ukraine, approximately 1300 km from areas where Russian-backed insurgents are active.
• CA soldiers are delivering vital training that will help to support Ukrainian Armed Forces in its efforts to maintain sovereignty, security, and stability in Ukraine. Roughly 200 Canadian trainers are teaching basic soldier skills, such as how to shoot, move and communicate on the battlefield, while also teaching how to treat wounded comrades and defeat threats such as Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). Military Police members are working to build the capability of the Ukraine Military Police in their enforcement and investigation techniques. Flight safety training, English language training and logistics system modernization are also part of this mission.
• This mission demonstrates the flexibility of the CAF and provides its’ members with an excellent opportunity for the Canadian Armed Forces to learn from the recent operational experiences of their Ukrainian counterparts.
• In addition to providing military assistance in coordination with the U.S. and other countries, Canada’s support to Ukraine includes investments in economic development, reinforcing democratic institutions, and humanitarian aid.
• 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group deployed on Op UNIFIER in August 2015.

Canada in Ukraine: Trainers to be in place by August

Despite the fact that the CAF's mission to the Ukraine was announced in April - very little has taken place to put the CAF on the ground in the Ukraine.

According to DND, a reconnaissance team has only just arrived in the Ukraine according to Lauren Armstrong, a spokeswomen for Defence Minister Kenney. They are scouting a location for the deployment of Canadian trainers.

Some 200 CAF trainers will help train the Ukrainian military in modern tactics. There has been no information given as to the delay in deploying the troops. Now troops will deploy on their two year mission in mid to late August, right in the heat of an Election campaign in Canada, which is set to vote in October 19.

United for Ukraine: CAF to deploy 200 Troops to the Ukraine

Defence Minister Jason Kenney and Chief of Defence Staff General Tom Lawson announced with Prime Minister Stephen Harper that the Canadian Armed Forces and Canada is United for Ukraine; and will deploy approximately 200 troops to the Ukraine to help train local forces, who are fighting the Russian-backed separatists. Approximately 10-12 Military Police will be part of the deployment - to better train the police forces in the region as well.

The CAF members will be deployed both on a sustained and periodic basis, depending on the type of training, which will last until the end of March 2017.

Kenney said that this is yet another step in Canada's efforts to help the Ukraine maintain its territorial integrity against Russian aggression.

It was announced that Canadian troops will be as far removed from the conflict in Eastern Ukraine.

The training mission will begin during the summer of 2015 - and will take place primarily at the NATO training facility in Yavoriv, in Western Ukraine, near the Polish border. Other training will take place at the Ukrainian Defence De-mining Centre  in Kamyanets-Podilsky - also located in Western Ukraine. The Polish border is Canada's exit strategy, should the unthinkable happen, and Canadian troops are required to exit the Ukraine in a hurry.

Since January 2014, Canada has been sending non-lethal aid to the Ukraine, and has continued to refuse lethal aid. The Ukrainian embassy in Canada has said Canada's training assistance is highly appreciated.

CAF Most likely Headed to the Ukraine

While DND has yet to release any official plans, the government has not yet announced an expansion of Op REASSURANCE, CTVNews has learned that the CAF is preparing to send Canadian Troops to the Ukraine in a non-combat role, most likely to work alongside US forces in a training role.

CTVNews' source told CTV that "The government is still working out the details, but a training mission is one of the options on the table."

The Conservative government has been hinting at an expansion of Op REASSURANCE for weeks, even stating that its budget (with Op IMPACT's) will be kept quiet for security reasons. Canada is planning this mission to keep up its strong Anti-Putin stance and to help shore up the Ukrainian government.

Canada's Op REASSURANCE is currently comprised of:

Air Task Force:

• 4 CF-18 Hornet fighter jets, with Military personnel and support staff, deployed from January to April 2015 to Eastern Europe to maintain a Canadian presence among our NATO Allies.

NATO Baltic Air Policing 

• Stationed in Siauliai, Lithuania, 4 CF-18 Honet's along with 135 personnel and support staff were deployed from September to December 2014. 
• Part of NATO's peacetime role - to preserve integrity of European Airspace from Air attacks. This is provided for nations not having full range air defence assets of their own ( Albania, Luxembourg, Iceland, Slovenia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia)

Air Task Force Romania 

• Stationed in Campia Turzii, Romania from May to August 2014 - 6 CF-18 Hornet's and approximately 200 personnel and support staff. 

Maritime Task Force: 

• Task Force HMCS Fredericton - Currently Deployed 
• Task Force HMCS Toronto - Deployed from July 2014 to January 2015 
• Task Force HMCS Regina - Deployed from January 2014 to August 2014

Land Task Force: 

Officially Deployed from May to December 2014 - however CAF personnel are deployed in the region under other* operations.

• Exercise ORZEL ALERT - Western Poland - 45 CAF Members, May 5-9 2014 
• Exercise SABRE STRIKE - Baltic States - 120 CAF Members, 9-20 June 2014
• Exercise PEGASUS KORSARZ - Poland - CAF led exercise, 23-27 June 2014 
• Exercise GNIEZNO - Poland - CAF led exercise, 2-6 July 2014 
• Exercise STEADFAST JAVELIN II - Latvia - 100 CAF Members, 2-8 September 2014 
• Exercise ANAKONDA - Poland 24 September to 3 October 2014 
• Exercise COMBINED RESOLVE III - Germany - 100 CAF Members, 16 September to 12 November 2014 
• Exercise IRON SWORD - Lithuania - 10 CAF Members  13-15 October and 2-14 November 2014
• Exercise FALCON - Poland 21-26 November 2014 
• Winter Warfare Training - Lithuania - 3rd RCR 8-12 December 2014 
• *Exercise ALLIED SPIRIT I - Germany 45 CAF Members 16-28 January 2015

CAF to the Ukraine? New Minister Hints at possibility

The new Defence Minister Jason Kenney hinted late Wednesday that Canada is considering joining the United States in training the Ukrainian Military. Kenney also left the option open to extending Canada's mission against ISIS.

Kenney did not confirm anything, and nothing from DND has anything being official yet, but US forces are considering deploying to the Ukraine to help train the military on how to better defend themselves against Russian weaponry, including artillery and rockets.

The US mission would not begin until March of 2015, and by that point Canada's mission in Iraq is set to expire - but the Conservatives are likely to extend the mission, especially now that President Obama has asked congress for a limited ground war - and the wording he used is very similar to the mission Canadian Special Forces are doing right now.

So perhaps come March, Canadian Forces will be adding another training mission in the Ukraine to their list of deployments.

Original Article from Maclean's Magazein.