Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with the Prime Minister of Latvia, Krišjānis Kariņš.
Prime Minister Trudeau and Prime Minister Kariņš strongly condemned the large-scale military aggression by Russia against the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence of Ukraine. Prime Minister Trudeau stated that the strength of the NATO Alliance lies in its unity and emphasized the importance of continued coordination and action between allies and partners. Prime Minister Kariņš welcomed Canada’s announcement to deploy up to an additional 460 military personnel to Latvia and elsewhere in Eastern Europe, in support of NATO. The two leaders praised the groundswell of support from citizens across the region and around the world, who are demonstrating their solidarity with Ukraine in various ways.
The prime ministers stressed that Russia’s actions are blatant violations of international law, and will not be tolerated. Prime Minister Trudeau expressed his support for further financial sanctions, to include a ban from the SWIFT international payment system, and praised transatlantic cooperation in this regard. The two leaders committed to continue coordinating efforts in support of Ukraine.