Russia; Ukraine & Canada: 1)In Riga, Carney extends Canadian military mission in Latvia by three years to 2029; 2)In Kyiv, Carney not ruling out Canadian troops in Ukraine if peace deal reached; 3)Contributing to war and peace: Canada’s role in Ukraine explained

1)In Riga, Carney extends Canadian military mission in Latvia by three years to 2029

Courtesy Barrie360.com and Canadian Press

By Craig Lord, Aug. 26, 2025

Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced that Canada will keep troops in Latvia through to 2029, as part of a mission to deter Russian aggression in Europe that has given Ottawa an outsized role in the transatlantic alliance.

“We must deter and fortify. And that is the way that we can provide true reassurance,” Carney said at a Tuesday news conference in Riga, flanked by Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina.

Carney’s office says there are now 2,000 Canadian Armed Forces troops in Latvia as part of Operation Reassurance, which is Canada’s largest overseas mission. Canadian troops have been there since 2017 to strengthen the defence of Europe’s eastern flank and to deter Russian from invading Baltic countries, through what many call a “trip wire.”

The current authority for the mission ends in March 2026, but Carney says he plans to extend that by another three years.

“We will in the process increase the brigade’s capabilities here in Latvia, reinforce our collective defence, strengthen our co-operative security, and keep the NATO presence strong,” Carney said.

Canada is co-ordinating the role of soldiers from roughly 10 countries in Latvia, to shore up the country’s defences and to train Latvian soldiers, according to Carleton University professor Stephen Saideman.

“We’re punching above our weight,” he said in an interview. “We’re basically being treated by the rest of NATO as equal to the U.K. and Germany,” who are co-ordinating similar multinational brigades in Estonia and Lithuania respectively.

Ottawa aims to have a full cadre of 2,200 persistently deployed Canadian troops in Latvia sometime in 2026, and has been building new infrastructure at the Adazi base near Riga in the past two years to make up for overcrowding.

Canada occasionally has the full presence of 2,200 troops for specific exercises, Saideman said.

He said Carney’s visit is likely meant “to help educate Canadians about this major commitment” and to put a face on the boost to defence spending that is coming the expense of other services for Canadians.

“He might be going there to show to Canada where the money is going, and why the money is necessary,” he said.

Saideman added that the mission is particularly complex as France would have likely led the mission, and Canada is instead running a mission with smaller contingents from many countries, which requires more work to co-ordinate.

“We are doing a whole lot that doesn’t necessarily get recognized back in Canada,” he said.

The mission started after Russia’s 2014 invasion of Ukraine and annexation of Crimea, and has taken on increased importance since Moscow’s February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Earlier Tuesday, Carney said in Berlin that Russian President Vladimir Putin is afraid to sit down with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, after U.S. President Donald Trump said the two should talk directly on how to end the war.

“We see President Putin putting conditions and conditions, and stalling and stalling, and being afraid of having this meeting,” Carney said.

Marcus Kolga, a senior fellow with the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, said Canada’s mission in Latvia is a major contribution.

“It’s probably one of the most important international missions that we’ve been engaged in since the liberation of the Netherlands in World War II,” he said.

“It allows them to go on living their lives normally, even though that threat is right at their doorstep,” he said, adding this applies to Latvians as well as neighbouring Estonians and Lithuanians.

“It demonstrates that Canada is active, and it won’t be pushed around by Vladimir Putin,” he said.

Global Affairs Canada’s profile on Latvia says both countries “share a close relationship grounded in shared fundamental values, such as support for democracy, human rights and the rules-based international order.”

Latvia has deep scars over violence meted out on the population both during the Nazi occupation and during Latvia’s time as part of the Soviet Union.

— With files from Dylan Robertson in Ottawa.

2) In Kyiv, Carney not ruling out Canadian troops in Ukraine if peace deal reached

Courtesy Barrie360.com and Canadian Press

By Bill Graveland, Aug. 24, 2025.

During a surprise visit to the Ukrainian capital on Sunday, Prime Minister Mark Carney did not rule out putting Canadian troops on the ground in Ukraine as part of an eventual security guarantee against Russia.

Carney made the comments at a joint news conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy following a bilateral meeting between the two.

When asked what kind of security guarantees Canada could provide to Ukraine, Carney said Ukraine’s own military must be supported but that more than that will be required.

“I would not exclude the presence of troops,” he said.

Carney said Canada doesn’t think it is “realistic” that Ukraine’s military alone would be enough for a security guarantee.

“So that needs to be buttressed, it needs to reinforced,” he said, adding Canada is working with allies in the Coalition of the Willing about what other forms of protection could be offered by land, air and sea.

Canada has been part of talks for more than two years seeking to help secure any sort of peace deal in Ukraine. Those talks morphed last fall into a coalition of nations seeking to contribute to maintaining peace in Ukraine, if a ceasefire is reached. It includes most European nations as well as Canada, Japan and Australia.

Carney was in Kyiv as a guest of Zelenskyy to participate in Ukraine’s Independence Day. In a speech at a ceremony marking the holiday, Carney said in French that Ukraine is at a critical moment of the war, and that the support of the international community must intensify.

His visit comes as efforts to find a peace deal ramped up over the last week, though there does not appear to be any immediate sign of a deal.

“When that peace comes … Canada will be there,” Carney said in his speech.

“We will be there with you to promote peace, security and prosperity for Ukraine once the killing stops.”

U.S. President Donald Trump tried to move the peace process along this month, first hosting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Aug. 15, and then Zelenskyy and other European leaders at the White House a few days later.

In his speech, Carney applauded “the leadership of the transformative U.S. President Donald Trump in creating the possibilities for peace.”

Despite those talks, Moscow unleashed a heavy barrage of strikes on Ukraine earlier this week and continues to insist it must be involved in any security guarantees for Ukraine. Zelenskyy has rejected any such involvement.

Security guarantees will be largely dependent on the United States. Trump said in recent days that there will be no U.S. troops on the ground in Ukraine but suggested air presence and intelligence support could be part of any security guarantees in an eventual peace deal.

Carney left Canada early Saturday for an extended trip to Europe that will also include stops in Poland, Germany and Latvia. He arrived in Kyiv by train early Sunday. The Ukraine leg of the trip was made under a media blackout for security reasons.

Carney and Defence Minister David McGuinty were greeted Sunday morning at the Kyiv main train station by Canada’s ambassador to Ukraine Natalka Cmoc and Ukrainian government officials including ambassador-designate for Ukraine to Canada Andrii Plakhotniuk.

The prime minister delivered a speech as part of Independence Day ceremonies in Sophia Square surrounded by Ukrainian officials, soldiers and dignitaries. Keith Kellogg, the U.S. envoy to Ukraine, was in attendance alongside defence ministers from a handful of supporting nations.

“Mr. President, dear friends, my message today is simple: Canada will always stand in solidarity with Ukraine,” Carney said.

“Canada will always be with you, so your many sacrifices lead to the peace, security and prosperity that all Ukrainians — that all peoples — deserve.”

He said Ukraine’s cause — of freedom, democracy and sovereignty — is Canada’s cause.

Carney noted that Canada was the first western nation to recognize Ukrainian independence under former prime minister Brian Mulroney.

In his speech, Carney said his own upbringing reflected Ukraine and its diaspora in Canada.

“I grew up on the Canadian prairies where my horizon looked like your flag. Where my classmates bore your names, and their parents and grandparents spoke your language,” he said.

“The Ukrainian people are part of Canada’s story, a story whose best chapters are yet to be written.”

Zelenskyy addressed the crowd ahead of Carney, saying in Ukrainian that it was an honour to have the prime minister for his first official visit to Ukraine.

In a social media post later on Sunday, he said the meeting with Carney was “very meaningful” and thanked the prime minister for his support.

“Today, important documents and clear agreements have been signed,” Zelenskyy said.

He added some of the funds from Canada will go towards the production of drones.

“Right now, drones are the number one priority in defence and tactical operations, as they help save lives on the battlefield,” Zelenskyy said.

After his speech, Carney joined Zelenskyy and the president’s wife, Olena Zelenska, to lay flowers at the wall of remembrance of the fallen.

Carney, in his speech, blamed Putin for the terror facing Ukrainians.

“But Putin can be stopped. Russia’s economy is weakening. He is becoming more isolated. And our alliance is hardening. It’s growing more effective, more determined, more united,” Carney said.

A Canadian government official briefing reporters before the trip, said Russia is making “slow” progress in its campaign to retake Ukrainian soil.

Canadian intelligence suggests Russia is losing 1,000 soldiers per day in the conflict while Ukraine is estimated to be losing about 500 soldiers daily, the official said.

Russia has been recruiting soldiers from other counties, such as North Korea, to sustain its war effort, the official said.

That has caused a lack of alignment in training in the Russian ranks leading to a loss of morale, giving Ukraine an advantage on that front.

Experts say Canada has a vested interest in allying with Ukraine and other Western nations in guarding against an expansionist Russia, particularly in Arctic territories.

The Canadian official said it’s important within the coalition to keep momentum building instead of having steps back as in the past.

Many obstacles still exist to securing a peace deal, including determining conditions for a ceasefire and the fate of Russian-occupied territories and the Donbas.

Moscow illegally annexed Crimea and its forces hold parts of four other regions outside the Donbas. In all, Russia holds about one-fifth of Ukraine.

Ukraine is also seeking security guarantees against any future Russian incursion.

There are Canadian soldiers in Europe as part of Operation Unifier, a mission to train Ukrainian soldiers launched after Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014.

Canada’s support so far in the conflict includes $22 billion in financial support for Ukraine, largely in the form of loans, according to Ottawa’s tallies. A separate, independent estimate from the Kiel group pegs this amount closer to $19.7 billion.

Canada has a significant role in humanitarian initiatives, such as work to resettle Ukrainian children abducted by Russia, maintain maternal health services and the detection and removal of landmines.

— With files from Craig Lord in Warsaw, Dylan Robertson in Ottawa and The Associated Press

3)Contributing to war and peace: Canada’s role in Ukraine explained

Courtesy Barrie360.com and Canadian Press

By Dylan Robertson, Aug. 23, 2025.

The city center in the aftermath of the Russia’s missile attack that killed at least 21 civilians in Sumy, Ukraine, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo)

Ottawa is watching closely as U.S. President Donald Trump attempts to play peacemaker in the war in Ukraine.

Canada has volunteered to play a role in helping maintain peace in Ukraine, if a ceasefire deal can be reached between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to end the fighting that Moscow started in 2014.

The way the war ends could reverberate for decades.

“It has an impact and ramifications on global security, on peace around the world,” said Marcus Kolga, a senior fellow with the Macdonald-Laurier Institute.

Here’s a look at what’s at stake for Canada, and how Ottawa might be called on to help.

What’s going on in the talks?

On Aug. 15, U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed Putin to a high-profile summit in Alaska, ending years of western isolation for Russia and its leader. Several days later Trump also hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders at the White House.

Ukraine said it needs “security guarantees” from other countries that can ensure Russia won’t mount another invasion, while Moscow has called for Ukraine to be barred from membership in groups like NATO or the European Union.

Canada has been part of talks for more than two years on how to help secure any sort of peace deal in Ukraine. Those talks morphed last fall into the Coalition of the Willing, a group of nations who have offered to help fund or staff a peacekeeping force on Ukrainian territory.

In addition to Canada the group includes most European nations as well as Japan and Australia. Canada’s top soldier has also been part of NATO talks to co-ordinate possible military contributions.

Trump has said the U.S. won’t send troops into Ukraine, but might provide air support to maintain peace.

How did this conflict start?

Russia invaded Ukraine in 2014, annexing Crimea and fighting for other territories for eight years, before launching the February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Trump has erroneously suggested Ukraine started the conflict.

Ukraine says its 2014 democratic uprising against a Russia-backed, autocratic president threatened Moscow’s control over the country, as Kyiv inched closer toward the European Union. Kyiv says it wants to chart a democratic, western path as a multi-ethnic country, in contrast to Moscow’s nationalist narrative that leans heavily on traditional Orthodox viewpoints.

Ukrainians say they’ve been victims of Russian imperialism over centuries, citing repeated suppression of Ukrainian language and identity, the 1932 Holodomor famine, and evidence of Russia soldiers torturing and mutilating Ukrainians during the current war.

Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons in 1994 on the agreement that Moscow, Washington and London would guarantee Ukraine’s security.

Russia says it is trying to prevent a Western invasion and protect speakers of the Russian language — but these claims don’t align with reality.

Moscow claims Ukraine is an American puppet state that is run by a Nazi regime, despite the current president and former prime minister being Jewish.

Russia has taken examples of real and imagined examples of discrimination against minorities in Ukraine and restrictions on the Russian language, as grounds to say Kyiv has a terrorist government that must be toppled with territories absorbed into Russia.

Moscow claims NATO’s expansion to former Soviet countries bordering Russia shows the West trying to destabilize Russia. The Kremlin has openly mulled reconstituting the Soviet Union, which was succeeded by Russia and 14 sovereign countries.

The countries who chose to join NATO say they need western backing to hold back Moscow after its invasions into Georgia and Ukraine and cyberattacks on Estonia.

How does our support stack up against others?

The Kiel Institute, which measures global contributions to Ukraine, pegs Canada as the fifth most generous in raw dollars, and 11th in rank based on gross domestic product.

The top donor in raw dollars is the U.S., followed by Germany, the U.K. and Japan. Those giving the highest share of support proportionate to economic size include the Netherlands, most Scandinavian countries and the Baltics.

The tracker says Canada has committed more than $19.7 billion in support for Ukraine, while Ottawa tallies this at $22 billion, including military, humanitarian and financial aid. That is more per capita and by dollar than France and Italy. 

A large chunk of Ottawa’s support is loans, which underwrite the Ukrainian government so it is able to finance operations and take on debt.

Canada has an outsized role in humanitarian initiatives, such as work to resettle Ukrainian children abducted by Russia, maintain maternal health services and the detection and removal of landmines.

Will we send troops to Ukraine? What could we be called on to do to help secure a ceasefire?

Prime Minister Mark Carney would not specify Friday how Canada could help, but noted Ukraine will needs support on land, air and sea.

“It’s a fluid situation; it’s a delicate situation, so I’m not going to describe specifics,” he told reporters.

“Any security guarantee starts with a robust Ukrainian army. And that means weapons, that means training, that means viability.”

Carleton University professor Stephen Saideman said Canada is limited in how much military support it could offer. “We don’t really have a whole lot on the shelves to send them,” he said.

It’s not clear if Canadian soldiers will be on the ground in Ukraine, given that there is no ceasefire agreed upon, and Putin says he won’t accept NATO troops being stationed in Ukraine.

Even if it were possible, Canada would need to redeploy hundreds of its troops from an ongoing NATO mission in Latvia, with troops stationed near the Russian border to deter Moscow from invading.

“If you want to have a real combat-capable force, you’d have to basically take what’s in Latvia and move it to Ukraine, and the Latvians would not be that thrilled about that,” Saideman said.

Canada has led a training mission for Ukrainian troops since 2015, and could likely continue this training for both Ukraine and any countries sending peacekeepers. 

“If there’s a ceasefire, then we can train them in Ukraine. So that would be a couple hundred troops doing that,” Saideman said, adding that some special-operations forces might also help Ukraine.

He said Canada does not have much air-patrol capacity or ships that would help secure the Black Sea or skies over Ukraine.

Kolga said Ottawa could also ramp up its financial efforts against Russia, such as beefing up efforts to forfeit Russian holdings in foreign banks to finance Ukraine’s war effort, or sanctioning states supporting Russia’s war economy.

Why is it in our interest to help Ukraine?

Kolga said there is a real threat for Canada’s Arctic if Putin is given the message that it can win territory and respect for annexing land.

“He will rearm himself. He will reconstitute his forces — which are significant already,” he said. “He could try this again elsewhere. All of the signals are there.”

Kolga notes Russia has refurbished or newly built dozens of military bases in the Arctic. Moscow has made “maximalist claims” on Arctic waters that overlap with areas claimed by Ottawa.

“We can put the brakes on all this by ensuring that Ukraine wins.”

Kolga argues western countries should have scaled up their arms for Ukraine with fewer limits earlier in the conflict, to defeat Russia instead of providing “drips and drabs” that prolonged the war.

“We wouldn’t be in the predicament that we are today,” he said.

Western countries expressed fear of provoking direct confrontation with Russia, which has nuclear weapons. Russia has since reoriented its economy to a focus on weaponry and trade with countries that haven’t sanctioned Moscow such as China, India and Brazil.

Victory for Ukraine “will act as a severe blow” to Putin and Russia’s “neo-imperialism” in the Arctic and Russia, Kolga said.