In The Media

Canada’s NATO Mission in Latvia expected to be renewed by Trudeau ahead of Summit

by Teresa Wright (feat. Dave Perry)

The Canadian Press
July 9, 2018

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to commit Canada to spend several more years leading a NATO battle group in Latvia — news that will come on the eve of the alliance's annual leaders' summit in Brussels and a likely showdown with U.S. President Donald Trump over military spending.

Trudeau was scheduled to arrive in Latvia late Monday, one day before he plans to pay a visit to the approximately 450 Canadian troops who are there leading a multinational force that was first announced in 2016 as a check against Russian aggression in eastern Europe.

The Canadian-led battle group is one of four in the region, and includes troops from Albania, the Czech Republic, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain. Germany leads a similar force in Lithuania, Britain leads one in Estonia and the U.S. leads in Poland.