(OTTAWA) – Sending a Canadian ship to Cuba, where it has docked alongside part of the Russian fleet, was a decision made “carefully” to increase its presence in the region, the office of National Defense Minister Bill Blair said.
The port of Daniel Minden published a statement confirming that the visit to the port of La Havane “is a location and small plan,” and that the auto supervisor on the Royal Canadian Marine Constables and the command of interarms operations form Canada.
“We have made a small choice to increase our naval presence in the region,” the statement read. We think it's important to show Canadian presence. »
Conservatives criticized the decision on social media after Foreign Minister Melanie Jolie told CBC in a recent interview that she was not aware that one of the Canadian patrol boats was docking in Havana at the same time as the Russian ships.
“This is new information to me,” the minister told host David Cochrane.
Michael Chung, a conservative foreign affairs critic, questioned why Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government would send a Canadian ship to “celebrate” relations “with a communist dictatorship,” referring to Cuba.
“And even less so while Russian warships are anchored there?” » Mr. Chung posted on X.
James Bezan, the party's national defense spokesman, said the decision called for an investigation by the parliamentary defense committee, saying he wanted to hear from Ms Hazzard.I Julie and Mr. Blair testify.
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre issued a statement on Channel X, describing the visit as “reckless, radical and dangerous.”
“While our forces are under-resourced, Trudeau spends the defense budget and sends a Canadian military ship to Cuba alongside the Russian Navy to honor the brutal communist government in Cuba,” the letter read.
The visit to Havana is the first by the Canadian Navy since 2016, and comes at a time when Canada has sent billions of dollars in aid and military equipment to Ukraine to help it fight the Russian invasion.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau himself returned to Canada on Sunday after a summit organized in Switzerland for peace in Ukraine.
During his stay, Mr. Trudeau pledged $52 million in aid to Ukraine and co-chaired a leaders' session during which he discussed the need for the international community to call for the return of nearly 20,000 Ukrainian children forcibly expelled from their homes by Russia.
Mr. Minden says Canada has made the “wise choice” to increase its naval presence in the region, adding that one of its warships, the… HMCS Quebec CityA CP-140 patrol aircraft monitored the Russian fleet.
In a message published this week on the social network
Visit HMCS Margaret Brooke It is expected to last from June 14 to 17.
Melanie Joly's office referred the matter to Mr Blair's office when asked to respond.
A statement from Blair's office said he would provide an update on Monday “on Canada's ongoing work to monitor the Russian naval fleet and demonstrate Canada's military presence and capabilities in North America.”
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