Should Canada send weapons to Ukraine? MPs weigh in.

Conservative MP James Bezan says Canada should send lethal weapons to Ukraine as the country hopes to ward off a potential invasion by Russian troops.

Liberal, Conservative and NDP members of Parliament had different answers to Evan Solomon’s question on CTV’s Power Play Tuesday asking them if Canada should send arms to Ukraine.

“Right now our goal is de-escalate the situation,” said Liberal MP Rob Oliphant, the foreign affairs parliamentary secretary. “The burden is on Russia to do that and we have been very clear about that.”

Bezan, his party’s deputy opposition whip, told Power Play he was disappointed Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly went to Kyiv and “didn’t offer anything to the government of Ukraine.”

Bezan said his party has been calling for years on the Liberals to deliver weapons to Ukraine.

NDP foreign affairs critic Heather McPherson argued Canada should not send weapons to Ukraine, saying Canada has not explored every diplomatic tool in its arsenal.

“I don’t think this is the time to be giving arms to the Ukraine,” she told Power Play.

Joly met with her Ukrainian counterpart Tuesday and pledged to help Ukraine build up its capabilities against a potential Russian invasion. She said the government will make a decision on sending weapons in a “timely manner.”

The MPs debate Canada’s response to Ukraine in the video at the top of this article.