The office of Minister of National Defense Bill Blair defends the decision to send a Canadian ship to Cuba, where it docked alongside part of the Russian fleet, calling it a “carefully” planned measure to increase its presence in the region.
Spokesman Daniel Minden issued a statement Sunday saying the Havana port visit “was carefully and exhaustively planned,” and the minister authorized it following the advice of the Royal Canadian Navy and Canadian Joint Operations Command.
“We have made the smart decision to increase our naval presence in the region this week,” the statement read.
“We believe this marked an especially important moment to showcase the Canadian presence.”
Opposition Conservatives took to social media to criticize the move after Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly told CBC News during a recent interview that she was unaware that one of Canada’s patrol boats was docked in Havana at the time. same time as Russian warships.
“This is information that is new to me,” the minister told presenter David Cochrane.
Michael Chong, the Conservatives’ foreign affairs critic, questioned why Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government sent a Canadian ship to “celebrate” relations “with a communist dictatorship,” referring to Cuba.
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“Let alone while Russian warships are docked there?” Chong posted on X.
James Bezan, the party’s national defense critic, said the decision warrants an investigation by the parliamentary defense committee, saying he wants to hear Joly and Blair testify.
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre issued a statement on X, formerly Twitter, describing the visit as “reckless, radical and dangerous.”
“While our troops lack resources, Trudeau spends his defense budget sending a Canadian naval ship to Cuba along with the Russian navy to honor Cuba’s brutal communist government,” it reads.
The visit to Havana marks the first by Canada’s navy since 2016 and comes at a time when Canada has sent billions in aid and military equipment to Ukraine to help it combat the Russian invasion, which began in February 2022. .
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was traveling back to Canada on Sunday following a summit in Switzerland to help promote peace in Ukraine.
While there, Trudeau pledged a $52 million package to aid Ukraine and co-chaired a session for leaders where he discussed the need for the international community to call for the return of the nearly 20,000 Ukrainian children forcibly expelled from their homes. homes across Russia.
In his statement Sunday, Minden said the HMCS Ville de Quebec, one of Canada’s warships, and a CP-140 patrol plane had been following the Russian flotilla, adding that the military publicized the port visit. .
In its post on
HMCS Margaret Brooke’s visit will last from June 14 to 17.
Joly’s office deferred to Blair’s when asked to respond.
A statement from Blair’s office says he will provide an update on Monday “on Canada’s ongoing work to monitor the Russian naval flotilla and demonstrate Canada’s military presence and capability in North America.”
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