(Warsaw, Poland) The Ministry of Defense is working to prepare for various military scenarios for a possible deployment of Canadian troops on Ukrainian territory to find that Ukraine and Russia manage to agree on a cease-fire or a peace agreement, the Minister of Defense, David McGuinty confirmed on Monday.
Taking a surprise visit of a few hours in Kyiv on Sunday, Prime Minister Mark Carney said that he does not exclude the deployment of Canadian soldiers in Ukraine in order to offer security guarantees against Russia, as the President Volodyr Zelensky claims.
Minister McGuinty was part of the restricted Canadian delegation that went to the Ukrainian capital when Ukraine’s independence was marked on Sophia Square.
“We are still working on any scenarios in Ukraine. We really want to see progress. […] Prime Minister Carney was very clear about it. It is a question to see how things will evolve. Ukraine continues to defend itself. They have lost a lot of people. The Russians continue to wage war. They too have lost a lot of people. The Canadian Armed Forces very closely follow what’s going on on the ground, “said the Minister of Defense during a short press scrum in Warsaw.
Photo Christinne Muschi, Canadian Press
Canadian Defense Minister David McGuinty
Mr. McGuinty has argued that Canada could play a role that could take different forms.
There are several ways to contribute. There is the question of military equipment. There is the question of resources, funding. There is always the question of information. There are also medical staff. All this remains to be seen.
Defense Minister David McGuinty
In Kyiv, the Prime Minister argued that the Ukrainian army will need additional help from the member countries of the volunteer coalition of which Canada, the majority of European countries, Japan and Australia. “There is the possibility, and I do not exclude anything, from the forces of certain members, including Canada, from the coalition of volunteers here in Ukraine,” he said on Sunday.
For the time being, the possibility of a peace agreement or a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia seems unlikely, the Russian troops having even intensified their attacks in the last days.
Carney took advantage of his visit to Kyiv to announce the details of the two billion dollars aid promised to President Volodymyr Zelensky at the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Alberta. More than 1 billion will be devoted to the supply of drones, ammunition and armored vehicles. An additional sum of 680 million will finance priority military equipment determined by NATO, expected from next month.
Canada also plans to finance the joint manufacturing of military drones using the facilities of a Canadian company in Ukraine. The name of this Canadian company has not been revealed for security reasons.
Carney returned to Warsaw Monday morning after a second night trip by secure train between Kyiv and Poland. In the morning, the Prime Minister met his Polish counterpart Donald Tusk at the presidential palace. The two leaders have announced that Canada and Poland plan to strengthen their partnership in defense, trade and energy.
At the end of this meeting, Mr. Tusk indicated, in a declaration to the media, that Poland will not deploy troops in Ukraine, preferring to make available to the countries of the coalition which wish it the logistical support to a possible deployment of their troops and also deeming to strengthen its military presence on the border between Poland and Belarus.
Undeniable sign of the military accent of this European tour of Mark Carney and the Minister of Defense, Canada will preside over the International Exhibition of Defense Industry in Kielce, Poland in 2026. This exhibition – the third in importance on a global scale after that of Paris and London – will promote “Canadian innovation in defense and security technologies with international partners”, according to the Prime Minister’s office.
The Prime Minister subsequently met Poland business people during a round table with Minister McGuinty. In the morning, he met members of the Canadian armed forces who are in Poland and who participated in the UNIFIE operation aimed at forming the Ukrainian soldiers. Since 2015, Canadian soldiers have formed 45,000 Ukrainian soldiers.
After Ukraine and Poland, the Prime Minister will head for Germany and Latvia. In Berlin, Tuesday, Mr. Carney will have an interview with the German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. In Riga on Wednesday, he will meet Canadian soldiers deployed in Latvia as part of the NATO reassurance mission.