TORONTO (Reuters) – Canada has quickly withdrawn its Ukraine-based military personnel to an undisclosed vacation spot in Europe, the Canadian defence ministry mentioned on Sunday, as Western international locations concern Russia is getting ready to invade Ukraine.
Canada, which has the world’s third-largest Ukrainian inhabitants after Ukraine and Russia, has saved a 200-strong coaching mission in western Ukraine since 2015.
The defence ministry mentioned the armed forces have been relocated as a result of of the “complicated operational setting linked to Russia’s unwarranted aggression towards Ukraine.”
Russia has greater than 100,000 troops massed close to Ukraine, which isn’t half of the Atlantic military alliance. Moscow denies it’s planning an assault on Ukraine and has accused the West of “hysteria.”
Canada’s defence forces have educated over 30,000 Ukrainian troopers and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has mentioned the mission can be prolonged by three years, at a price of C$340 million ($268.5 million) and would lead to 400 Canadian trainers being despatched to Ukraine finally.
Canada additionally has quickly moved its diplomatic workers to an workplace in Lviv, suspending embassy operations in Kyiv, the federal government mentioned on Saturday. Washington and its European allies and others have been decreasing or evacuating embassy workers and urging residents to depart instantly or keep away from journey to Ukraine.
President Joe Biden’s nationwide safety adviser Jake Sullivan mentioned on Sunday an invasion of Ukraine by Russia might start “any day now”.
(Reporting by Denny Thomas; modifying by Grant McCool)
