On military readiness, ‘everyone is in big trouble’ after Ukraine aid: Trudeau – National | 24CA News
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the quantity of army support NATO allies have been transport to Ukraine to assist its combat in opposition to Russia’s invasion means “everyone is in big trouble” with army provides.
“We have stayed strong at a time where bigger countries and countries that play by different rules have tried really hard to impact us. And we’re continuing to defend ourselves in all the right ways,” Trudeau instructed Global News Ottawa bureau chief Mercedes Stephenson in a year-end interview that airs at 11 a.m. ET on Dec. 24.
Stephenson pressed Trudeau on whether or not Canada is sustaining the 30-day provide of ammunition it’s required to have underneath the phrases of NATO agreements.
Trudeau replied that Canada isn’t alone in struggling to keep up munitions.
“Everyone is in big trouble because we have been shipping, all of us as NATO’s allies, shipping massive amounts of ammunition to Ukraine right now because Ukraine is on the front line of defending not just their own territory, but their international rules-based order,” Trudeau mentioned.
There has been no scarcity of geopolitical challenges, together with allegations of overseas interference in Canadian elections from China, Russia and Iran, and the prime minister accusing brokers of the Indian authorities in having a job within the homicide of Canadian Sikh-independence activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in B.C.
Meanwhile, the Ukraine-Russia conflict is nearing the top of its second yr, whereas the Israel-Hamas conflict reignited with the Oct. 7 assaults.
Trudeau mentioned Canada should “double down” on democratic values and the rules-based worldwide order amid international challenges to each.
Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Wayne Eyre has not been shy in sharing his considerations about Canada’s army readiness throughout these tumultuous occasions.
“We have much to do to get our readiness back to where it needs to be,” Eyre mentioned in a Nov. 11 interview with Global News. “We are not insular here in this country. Events around the world can directly impact our security.”
Canada remains to be not hitting the NATO defence spending goal of two per cent of GDP, and plans to chop $1 billion from defence spending.
Trudeau defended his authorities’s army spending and mentioned Canada is contributing $38 billion to NORAD modernization and buying a fleet of F-35 fighter jets after placing preliminary plans for the acquisition on ice in 2015.
– With recordsdata from Global News’ Naomi Barghiel and Sean Previl.
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
