Trudeau, NATO partners stage theatrical rebuke of Russia at military base in Latvia
Justin Trudeau joined NATO allies Tuesday in staging a theatrical rebuke of Russia's war on Ukraine from a heavily armoured war-games field and in a floodlit news conference from one of the alliance's eastern European bases.
The prime minister promised Baltic leaders on a whirlwind trip to Latvia that Canada will stand with them to fight Russia's military aggression against Ukraine and its cyberattacks on their countries.
Trudeau and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg made clear that NATO's purpose is defensive, but that the core NATO agreement -- that an attack on one member is an attack on them all -- is very much in play.
"We are here to protect every inch of allied territory, of Latvia and all other NATO countries," Stoltenberg said at a joint news conference on the ─Çdazi military base northeast of Riga, Latvia.
The Norwegian politician's voice thundered over a loudspeaker at a joint news conference with Trudeau and Defence Minister Anita Anand, along with the prime ministers of Spain and Latvia, Pedro Sanchez and Kríjunis Kariaí. The event was held outdoors in near-freezing temperatures as a steady snowfall dusted the politicians on their podiums, positioned in the foreground of more than a dozen tanks, heavy armour and other imposing military vehicles.
- WATCH: Omar Sachedina visits underground bunker
- Latest updates on the Russia-Ukraine crisis
- Ukrainian couples getting married amid Russian invasion
"This demonstrates, really, NATO solidarity," Stoltenberg said, in case anyone missed the point.
"The purpose of that deterrence is not to provoke a war but to prevent a war. It is to preserve peace."
Trudeau said Russian President Vladimir Putin made a mistake thinking Ukraine and NATO were weak and divided.
"He's been shown how wrong he is," Trudeau said. "Ukrainians are strong and courageous and standing up to defend their land. And NATO has never been more united and determined than we are now. I know I can speak for all NATO members when I say we will all abide by Article Five."
Sanchez, echoing earlier remarks by Anand, tore a page from the Canadian feminist foreign policy play book and paid tribute to International Women's Day.
"Eight March should have been a day of celebration of women and girls in Ukraine," Sanchez said, adding that Putin's "brutal aggression is forcing them to flee their country or fight for their lives."
Sanchez said he wanted to "pay an homage today to all of them," pledging NATO would stand by their side.
Earlier, the group drove over bumpy roads, dwarfed by tall coniferous trees to a NATO training ground called French Hill for a tour of a massive battlefield scattered with a dozen heavy tanks and artillery pieces on a base that was once a Cold War outpost of the former Soviet Union.
Canadian defence chief Gen. Wayne Eyre joined them for a tour and briefing on the war gaming.
Canada leads the NATO battle group in Latvia, which is part of its long-standing deterrence efforts against Russia -- a mission that has taken on new significance in light of the Russian invasion.
It is one of four such efforts in the Baltics and Poland, designed to demonstrate the strength of the NATO alliance in the region against Russia.
Navigating dirt that was at times ankle deep, the entourage of politicians and military officials visited with soldiers from the 10 NATO countries that are stationed here.
"They see renewed purpose. It's the front line of freedom," Eyre said.
Trudeau asked questions of a Latvian commander from a hilltop bunker that overlooked the massive plain of rutted dirt.
Trudeau said that Canada's mission in Latvia, dubbed Operation Reassurance, wasn't set to be renewed until 2023, but given the Russian invasion in Ukraine, Canada was announcing a multi-year renewal immediately.
Trudeau arrived in Latvia in the wee hours of Tuesday before an early morning meeting with Kariai. It was followed by an expanded teleconference with leaders from Baltic NATO members Estonia and Lithuania on what was the 13th day of the Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Trudeau said Russia has "weaponized" misinformation not only against Ukraine but in all "democracies around the West."
"Quite frankly, you have been living not just with the military threat, not just with the history of occupation … but also, the daily use of propaganda and disinformation to try and undermine the democracy and the values you have," Trudeau told the three Baltic leaders.
Putin takes great offence at the NATO buildup on his country's borders. He has opposed NATO's expansion into countries that were once in the Soviet sphere.
Ukraine is not a NATO member but was seeking membership in the 30-country transatlantic alliance as well as closer ties with the European Union. Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014 after the overthrow of the Kremlin-backed administration in Kyiv.
That marked the most significant breach of Europe's borders since the Second World War -- a milestone now eclipsed by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Trudeau said the ongoing show of unity among NATO allies and other democracies to back Ukraine is a critical part of bringing the crisis to a close.
Kariai told Trudeau the Russian invasion did not succeed in "driving a wedge between Europe and North America, driving a wedge between NATO partners." Instead, he said, "the exact opposite" happened and there has been a "coming together of minds."
Trudeau told the Baltic leaders that Canada has the third largest population of Ukrainians in the world after Ukraine itself and Russia, "so we are deeply, deeply troubled and engaged by this conflict in Ukraine."
"We are demonstrating that, unlike what Putin thinks or mistakenly thought, democracies can and will defend not just themselves and their territory, but the principles and rules and the values that actually make us successful," Trudeau said.
Trudeau flew to Germany Tuesday night for meetings Wednesday with Chancellor Olaf Scholz. He will be joined in Berlin by Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland.
He will end his trip to Europe in Poland later this week.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 8, 2022.
Get in touch
Are you in Ukraine? Do you have family in Ukraine? Are you or your family affected? Email dotcom@bellmedia.ca.
- Please include your name, location, and contact information if you are willing to speak to a journalist with CTV News.
- Your comments may be used in a CTVNews.ca story.
IN DEPTH
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
Trudeau, key election players to testify at foreign interference hearings. What you need to know
The public hearings portion of the federal inquiry into foreign interference in Canadian elections and democratic institutions are picking back up this week. Here's what you need to know.
Who is supporting, opposing new online harms bill?
Now that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's sweeping online harms legislation is before Parliament, allowing key stakeholders, major platforms, and Canadians with direct personal experience with abuse to dig in and see what's being proposed, reaction is streaming in. CTVNews.ca has rounded up reaction, and here's how Bill C-63 is going over.
As Poilievre sides with Smith on trans restrictions, former Conservative candidate says he's 'playing with fire'
Siding with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on her proposed restrictions on transgender youth, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre confirmed Wednesday that he is against trans and non-binary minors using puberty blockers.
TREND LINE What Nanos' tracking tells us about Canadians' mood, party preference heading into 2024
Heading into a new year, Canadians aren't feeling overly optimistic about the direction the country is heading, with the number of voters indicating negative views about the federal government's performance at the highest in a decade, national tracking from Nanos Research shows.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
opinion Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care
Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus.
opinion Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create
While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn’t be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place.
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Flights divert around western Iran as one report claims explosions heard near Isfahan
Commercial flights began diverting their routes early Friday morning over western Iran without explanation as one semiofficial news agency in the Islamic Republic claimed there had been 'explosions' heard over the city of Isfahan.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Nearly half of China's major cities are sinking, researchers say
Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering 'moderate to severe' levels of subsidence, putting millions at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Judge says 'no evidence fully supports' murder case against Umar Zameer as jury starts deliberations
The judge presiding over the trial of a man accused of fatally running over a Toronto police officer is telling jurors the possible verdicts they may reach based on the evidence in the case.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Colin Jost names one celebrity who is great at hosting 'Saturday Night Live'
Colin Jost, who co-anchors Saturday Night Live's 'Weekend Update,' revealed who he thinks is one of the best hosts on the show.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn't over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball's highest scorer Caitlin Clark's first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
'Shopaholic' author Sophie Kinsella reveals brain cancer diagnosis
Sophie Kinsella, the best-selling author behind the 'Shopaholic' book series, has revealed that she is receiving treatment for brain cancer.
Local Spotlight
Cat found on Toronto Pearson airport runway 3 days after going missing
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
Molly on a mission: N.S. student collecting books about women in sport for school library
Molly Knight, a grade four student in Nova Scotia, noticed her school library did not have many books on female athletes, so she started her own book drive in hopes of changing that.
Where did the gold go? Crime expert weighs in on unfolding Pearson airport heist investigation
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
Marmot in the city: New resident of North Vancouver's Lower Lonsdale a 'rock star rodent'
When Les Robertson was walking home from the gym in North Vancouver's Lower Lonsdale neighbourhood three weeks ago, he did a double take. Standing near a burrow it had dug in a vacant lot near East 1st Street and St. Georges Avenue was a yellow-bellied marmot.
Relocated seal returns to Greater Victoria after 'astonishing' 204-kilometre trek
A moulting seal who was relocated after drawing daily crowds of onlookers in Greater Victoria has made a surprise return, after what officials described as an 'astonishing' six-day journey.
Ottawa barber shop steps away from Parliament Hill marks 100 years in business
Just steps from Parliament Hill is a barber shop that for the last 100 years has catered to everyone from prime ministers to tourists.
'It was a special game': Edmonton pinball player celebrates high score and shout out from game designer
A high score on a Foo Fighters pinball machine has Edmonton player Dave Formenti on a high.
'How much time do we have?': 'Contamination' in Prairie groundwater identified
A compound used to treat sour gas that's been linked to fertility issues in cattle has been found throughout groundwater in the Prairies, according to a new study.
'Why not do it together?': Lifelong friends take part in 'brosectomy' in Vancouver
While many people choose to keep their medical appointments private, four longtime friends decided to undergo vasectomies as a group in B.C.'s Lower Mainland.