Canada, US defense officials meet to discuss emerging threats, reaffirm support for Ukraine

Americas, News, US April 29, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III hosted Canadian Minister of National Defense Anita Anand on April 28 at the Pentagon, Washington D.C.

During the meeting, the defense officials of the United States and Canada discussed “ongoing and emerging threats to continental and international security” and reaffirmed support for Ukraine and NATO alliance.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said during the joint press conference that “Canada isn’t just a great neighbor, it’s also a true friend and a steadfast ally. And today, we’re grateful for Canada’s resolute support of the Ukrainian people after Russia’s reckless and lawless invasion.”

This was the second time in a week that Secretary Austin and Minister Anand met, as they also spoke at the Ramstein Meeting held at the U.S. Airbase in Germany. At that meeting, Canada pledged to send eight armored vehicles and other vital supplies to Ukraine.

Minister Anand and Secretary Austin discussed joint efforts by the two countries as well as international partners to support Ukraine, including “Canada’s recent delivery of heavy artillery to Ukrainian forces in conjunction with American allies, and next steps following this week’s meeting of the Ukraine Defense Consultative Group at Ramstein Air Base in Germany,” Canada’s Defence Ministry statement highlighted.

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Canadian Minister of National Defense Anita Anand said: “At this crucial moment, Russia is testing the will of Canada, the United States, and our allies and partners. Russia cannot redraw maps at will to suit its own ends. Russia cannot erode the rules-based international order without consequences. Sovereign nations cannot be erased from the map. And NATO cannot be divided. In fact, as we saw in Germany this week, we are more united than ever before. And we will continue to stand with Ukraine. We remain prepared to defend every inch of NATO territory, and we will always do whatever it takes to ensure the security of our North American continent.”

^{Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand shakes hands with Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III’s staff members during a bilateral meeting at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., April 28, 2022. (Image Credit: DoD/U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jack Sanders)}

Canada also recently deployed a second frigate to NATO’s maritime forces and sent additional troops to the Canada-led multinational battlegroup in Latvia.

“At this crucial time for Euro-Atlantic security, Canada’s commitment to the NATO alliance is unwavering,” Anita Anand said. Anand further added that in the coming weeks Canada “will continue to supply Ukraine with the equipment that it needs to fight and win.”

According to the Department of Defense release, the defense officials also discussed matters unrelated to Ukraine, including the North American Aerospace Defense Command.

U.S. Secretay of Defense Austin said: “We talked about our joint efforts to strengthen North American defense ties, including the need to ensure a stable Arctic region where international norms are respected, and we discussed how we’re both working with regional partners in Latin America and the Caribbean to combat threats like transnational crime and drug trafficking.”

The Canadian defense minister said that her country believes that “enhanced cooperation among like-minded Arctic countries is increasingly needed as we strive to maintain the Arctic as a zone of cooperation governed by the rules-based international order.”

^{Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III hosts Anita Anand, Canada’s Minister of National Defense, for a bilateral meeting at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., on April 28, 2022. (Image Credit: U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Zachary Wheeler/DoD)}

The defense officials of the U.S. and Canada also discussed China and reaffirmed commitments to ensuring a secure and open Indo-Pacific region. According to U.S. Defense Secretary Austin, “last year for the first time, Canada participated in a cooperative Taiwan Strait transit with the United States.

Austin added that both countries are “going to find additional opportunities to work together on our shared vision of a secure, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” the Department of Defense release read.