Canadian soldiers will continue training their Ukrainian counterparts against Russian aggression until 2022.
At the same time, they will also continue their deployment in Iraq for another two years to help stabilize the country against ISIS.
Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan and Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland announced the mission extensions in Ottawa on Monday, describing both as continuations of Canadian leadership and multilateralism. It comes just after the fifth anniversary of Russia annexing Crimea from Ukraine.
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The decision also comes after Canada late last week announced a new round of sanctions against Russia for its attack on Ukrainian naval vessels in the Kerch Strait and its detention of the roughly two dozen sailors on board those vessels in November 2018.
They have yet to be released.
Canada will extend the Canadian Forces’ contribution to the Global Coalition Against Daesh and the NATO mission in Iraq, until the end of March 2021.
Canada has about 500 military members in Iraq, including 200 who are part of a NATO training mission and 120 special forces who have been helping Iraqi forces root out Islamic State insurgents around the northern city of Mosul.
— With files from the Canadian Press.
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