Justin Trudeau, Melanie Joly to meet NATO leaders, discuss Russian aggression toward Ukraine
Washington/IBNS: Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau along with Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, are meeting with leaders of the Summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Washington, D.C. to discuss Russia's escalating aggression toward Ukraine.
The 3-day meeting marks the 75th anniversary of the NATO Alliance, of which Canada is a founding member.
“As a founding member of NATO, Canada has made valuable contributions to the Alliance over its 75-year history and continues to do so today...We have always been there for our Allies, and we will continue to do so. Likewise, we will continue to stand by Ukraine as the country fights for its freedom,” said Joly.
Top the agenda of the three-day summit would be the ongoing battle in Ukraine following Russian missile attacks Monday which left death and destruction, including at a large children's hospital in Kyiv.
Apart from new measures to support Ukraine, Trudeau would emphasize during the summit Canada's efforts towards NATO membership, officials were reported as saying.
Members of the alliance agreed to spend the equivalent of two per cent of their national gross domestic product on defence but Canada has long fallen short of the target.
Although Trudeau would comment about resolution in backing Ukraine, Canadian officials will be facing questions on this country's record on defence spending.
Canada has come to the summit with a detailed plan of its defence spending, Defence Minister Bill Blair, also present there, told the Foreign Policy Security Forum in Washington Monday afternoon.
(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)
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