On Tuesday, Canada announced 200 soldiers will be posted in
western Ukraine , joining U.S. and
British soldiers early this summer.
The mission will
last until March 31, 2017. Britain
is sending up to 75 military trainers. The U.S.
has committed 800 troops to train three battalions in western Ukraine . The
move comes after a request from the government of Ukraine .
The Russian Embassy
in Ottawa said in a statement that Canada 's
actions are fueling a military build-up.
"It does not
help in any way the settlement of the internal fratricidal conflict in that
country," the embassy said. "While foreign ministers of France,
Germany, Russia and Ukraine ... called for enhanced intra-Ukrainian political
dialogue, it is neither appropriate, nor helpful to assist the military
build-up playing into the hands of 'party of war in Kiev'," the statement
added.
Canadian Defense
Minister Jason Kenney said the deployment sends Russian President Vladimir
Putin a message of resolution and deterrence. Kenney emphasized the troops will
be far from the conflict zone. About 150 soldiers will be housed at a NATO
training center in Yavoriv, near the Polish border. Kenney also said between 25
to 30 troops will be also stationed at the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense
Demining Center in Kamyanets-Podilsky, also in western Ukraine .
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