Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly has decided to cut short her mission in Europe and return to Canada sooner than expected due to fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.
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“With rising tensions in Ukraine, I have decided to postpone my trip to France and return immediately to Canada,” Minister Joly said on her Twitter account on Sunday afternoon.
This decision is announced in the wake of the end of the Beijing Olympics, generally considered a period of truce in the world. It also comes as US leaders repeat day after day that a Russian invasion of Ukraine is “imminent”.
“We will relentlessly pursue our quest for a diplomatic solution. Russia always has time to choose the path of de-escalation and dialogue”, however tempered Mme Pretty.
The Minister traveled to Germany on February 17 to participate in the Munich Security Conference. She was then to go to France, where a meeting with her French counterpart, Jean-Yves Le Drian was notably planned, before returning home on Tuesday, but this part of the trip was canceled.
Ottawa has sided decisively with Kiev in recent weeks in its dispute with Russia, including agreeing to supply arms and ammunition, non-lethal military equipment and a loan to Ukraine, in addition to extend the training mission of the Canadian Armed Forces in this country.
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