The Canadian Armed Forces announced Sunday it’s in the process of temporarily relocating members of its Joint Task Force – Ukraine (JTF-U) to elsewhere in Europe amid warnings from the West that an invasion by Russia is imminent.
According to the Office of the Minister of National Defence, the temporary relocation of the force “does not signal the end of the mission,” but would ensure the safety and security of the Canadian Armed Forces members.
“While we can confirm we have relocated some of our forces outside of Ukraine, we will not discuss numbers, locations, or future intentions,” the office said in a statement.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday that Canada is “standing firm” with Western nations and is prepared to impose “severe costs” if Russia decides to invade Ukraine.
In an hourlong call Saturday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Joe Biden said an invasion of Ukraine would cause “widespread human suffering” and that the West was committed to diplomacy to end the crisis but “equally prepared for other scenarios,” the White House said. It offered no suggestion that the call diminished the threat of an imminent war in Europe.
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The White House said Biden would talk with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later Sunday.
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On Friday, Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, warned that U.S. intelligence shows a Russian invasion could begin within days, however, the Ukrainian president has played down invasion concerns, urging the country to remain calm.
Russia denies it intends to invade Ukraine but has massed well over 100,000 troops near its border and has sent troops to exercises in neighboring Belarus. U.S. officials say Russia’s buildup of firepower has reached the point where it could invade on short notice.
The Canadian Armed Forces said it remains “committed to the people of Ukraine and its mission to increase the capacity and capability of the Security Forces of Ukraine.”
— with files from the Associated Press
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