Canada condemns Ukraine kindergarten shelling, Russian embassy rejects comments
Canada's foreign minister accused Russia of trying to escalate the crisis with the West by shelling a kindergarten in eastern Ukraine, comments rejected by the Russian embassy in Canada.
"Canada strongly condemns the unprovoked Russian military activity in the Donbas region of Ukraine. Innocent civilians were put in danger by this clear effort by Russia to escalate the crisis. We commend the restraint shown by Ukraine," Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly said in a written statement on Thursday evening.
The Ukrainian military command said shells hit a kindergarten in Stanytsia Luhanska, wounding two teachers, and cutting power to half the town. Ukraine blamed separatists for shelling its forces but said they didn't fire back.
"We will continue to work with our allies to co-ordinate our responses to deter further Russian aggression. Any further military incursion into Ukraine will have serious consequences, including co-ordinated sanctions," Joly said.
The Russian embassy in Canada tweeted a statement of its own rejecting the minister's comments in the early hours of Friday.
"Such statements are a great disappointment. They have nothing to do with reality, " the embassy said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Twitter the shelling "by pro-Russian forces is a big provocation."
The escalating hostility came as Defence Minister Anita Anand emerged from two days of meetings with NATO counterparts with fresh assurances of Canada's commitment to the military alliance, but no new promises of reinforcements to protect allies from Russia.
Anand instead suggested the Canadian Armed Forces' ability to deploy additional troops and equipment to eastern Europe is limited due to its numerous other commitments both at home and around the world.
"The issue is one of Canada and the Canadian Armed Forces being deployed in multiple areas at the same time," she said. "And what we are doing now is examining ways in which Canada can reinforce its presence in the region from an operational standpoint."
The minister was also noncommittal when asked about the timeline for a decision, saying she is in discussions with chief of the defence staff Gen. Wayne Eyre and other senior defence officials, "and we will be in a position to make firm decisions in the short term."
Anand was speaking at the end of a news conference in Brussels, where defence ministers from across the 30-country transatlantic alliance were seized over the last two days with Russia's recent military buildup around Ukraine and the threat of a new war in Europe.
The end of the meeting coincided with a resurgence of fears about war as U.S. President Joe Biden warned Russia could invade Ukraine within days, and violence spiked in a long-running standoff in eastern Ukraine.
Speaking at the White House, Biden said Washington had seen no signs of a promised Russian withdrawal, adding the invasion threat remains "very high" because Russia has moved more troops toward the border with Ukraine instead of pulling them back.
"Every indication we have is they're prepared to go into Ukraine, attack Ukraine," Biden told reporters. He said the U.S. has reason to believe Russia is "engaged in a false flag operation to have an excuse to go in," but did not provide details.
Russia is believed to have built up some 150,000 soldiers and other military equipment around Ukraine's borders. Moscow says it has no plans to invade, but has demanded NATO withdraw its troops from eastern Europe and promise not to admit Ukraine as a member.
Anand joined Biden and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in rejecting Russian assertions it was pulling back troops from the border with Ukraine.
Anand did not hold back as she laid the blame for the current crisis at the Kremlin's feet as she promised Canada's continued solidarity with Ukraine and NATO, including its easternmost members bordering Russia.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced this week that Canada would provide a $500-million loan and $7.8 million worth of weapons and ammunition to Ukraine in response to the threat of a Russian invasion.
Yet while other NATO members have deployed additional troops to bolster the alliance's presence in eastern Europe, Canada has not. That is despite requests from some countries, including Latvia, for reinforcements.
Anand noted Canada already has 540 soldiers leading a battlegroup in Latvia whose ranks include troops and military equipment from nine other NATO members, with the main job of protecting against a Russian attack.
"This is our largest international military operation," she said. "And during today's meeting, I reiterated our commitment to continue to reinforce the security of the alliance's eastern flank as a whole."
Yet while Anand acknowledged that NATO members such as Latvia, whose government has publicly asked for reinforcements, would like to see more Canadian assistance, the minister indicated the issue is one of capacity.
Enhancing Canada's presence in eastern Europe, she added, "is at the very top of my priority list." However, Anand said she would not be rushed and was instead "being very methodical and being very careful" before any decision is made.
The Canadian Armed Forces says it has about 2,000 service members deployed on 20 different operations in Canada and around the world. Those include large deployments in Iraq and the Middle East, Ukraine and on ships in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.
The military has also provided support to provinces during the COVID-19 pandemic, even as it has struggled to recruit and train new members and is in the process of releasing hundreds of troops who have refused to get vaccinated.
The Armed Forces is supposed to have around 100,000 troops at full strength, but was short about 10,000 members at the end of November. Another 10,000 members were listed as unavailable for duty because they were either untrained, sick or injured.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 17, 2022.
-- With files from The Associated Press
IN DEPTH
Jagmeet Singh pulls NDP out of deal with Trudeau Liberals, takes aim at Poilievre Conservatives
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has pulled his party out of the supply-and-confidence agreement that had been helping keep Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's minority Liberals in power.
'Not the result we wanted': Trudeau responds after surprise Conservative byelection win in Liberal stronghold
Conservative candidate Don Stewart winning the closely-watched Toronto-St. Paul's federal byelection, and delivering a stunning upset to Justin Trudeau's candidate Leslie Church in the long-time Liberal riding, has sent political shockwaves through both parties.
'We will go with the majority': Liberals slammed by opposition over proposal to delay next election
The federal Liberal government learned Friday it might have to retreat on a proposal within its electoral reform legislation to delay the next vote by one week, after all opposition parties came out to say they can't support it.
Budget 2024 prioritizes housing while taxing highest earners, deficit projected at $39.8B
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government鈥檚 three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party鈥檚 popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
opinion Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care
Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus.
opinion Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create
While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn鈥檛 be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place.
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trump on Day 1: Begin deportation push, pardon Jan. 6 rioters and make his criminal cases vanish
Donald Trump has said he wouldn't be a dictator 鈥 'except for Day 1.' According to his own statements, he's got a lot to do on that first day in the White House.
'I was called;' Murray Sinclair's life and legacy honoured at emotional memorial
Applause erupted over and over at the Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg Sunday as the son of Murray Sinclair, a former judge, senator and chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission into residential schools, spoke about his father.
Why brain aging can vary dramatically between people
Researchers are uncovering deeper insights into how the human brain ages and what factors may be tied to healthier cognitive aging, including exercising, avoiding tobacco, speaking a second language or even playing a musical instrument.
Children's book by chef Jamie Oliver withdrawn after criticism from Indigenous Australians
A children's book written by British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has been withdrawn from sale after it was criticized for causing offense to Indigenous Australians.
The union representing some 1,200 dockworkers at the Port of Montreal has overwhelmingly rejected a deal with their employers association.
A man who was critically injured in a police-involved shooting in Hamilton late Sunday afternoon has died in hospital, says the province鈥檚 police watchdog.
opinion How to transition from renting to owning a home in Canada
In his column for CTVNews.ca, personal finance contributor Christopher Liew offers a step-by-step guide on how to make the shift from renting to becoming a homeowner, and what you can start doing today to help the process go smoother.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced voters in Cloverdale鈥擫angley City will pick their next member of Parliament on Dec. 16.
Elon Musk exerts deepening influence on Donald Trump's presidential transition
Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago club has been brimming in the last 48 hours with two kinds of people: those angling for a job in the president-elect鈥檚 incoming administration, and those trying to influence him into hiring their picks for the top spots.
Local Spotlight
Should Toronto tear up its bike lanes to improve traffic flow? Critics say it's not so simple
A congestion crisis, a traffic nightmare, or unrelenting gridlock -- whatever you call it, most agree that Toronto has a congestion problem. To alleviate some of the gridlock, the Ontario government has announced it plans to remove bike lanes from three major roadways.
For the second year in a row, the 鈥楪ift-a-Family鈥 campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.
Some of the most prolific photographers behind CTV Skywatch Pics of the Day use the medium for fun, therapy, and connection.
A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.
As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.
A group of women in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts 鈥 not for themselves, but for those in need.
A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.
Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.
A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.