On December 16, the Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence, held a bilateral meeting with the Minister for Defence of the Republic of Latvia, Andris Sprūds.
The ministers discussed the close defence relationship between Canada and Latvia, based on our unwavering commitment to our shared values, the rules-based international order, and international security.
Minister Blair reinforced Canada's commitment to European and trans-Atlantic defence and security, and to strengthening our relationships with Allies. He emphasized that Canada will continue to underscore the importance of a strong and united North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to the Euro-Atlantic area, including through our ongoing military assistance to Ukraine.
In discussing their shared support for Ukraine, Minister Blair highlighted Canada's October 2024 commitment to contribute $5 million to the Drone Coalition Capability Common Fund led by Latvia and the United Kingdom. This coalition brings together Ukraine Defense Contact Group members to support Ukraine's drone industry and procure drones crucial to its defence efforts. He noted that since February 2022, Canada has committed $4.5 billion in military assistance to Ukraine and over $19.5 billion in total assistance.
Minister Blair also recognized Latvia's lead in the effort to provide training to the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), noting that the Canada-Latvia training relationship for the AFU has developed into a valuable venue for training staff officers since 2023.
The Minister further expressed Canada's appreciation for Latvia's support in hosting the Canadian-led NATO Multinational Brigade Latvia (MNB-LVA), which Canada contributes to through Operation REASSURANCE, in support of NATO's deterrence and defence efforts. He noted that we look forward to continuing our work with Allies so that the troops, materiel, and infrastructure required to implement our Joint Roadmap are put in place.
Minister Blair highlighted that MNB-LVA will see further reinforcement of personnel - reaching a steady state of approximately 3,000 persistently deployed Allied soldiers by summer 2025-with about 1,500 Canadian Armed Forces members currently at the Brigade- and additional capabilities and personnel flowing into Latvia beyond that into 2026. He welcomed the success of Exercise RESOLUTE WARRIOR conducted last month across Central and Northern Latvia, which marked a major milestone for MNB-LVA as its first field exercise.
The ministers concluded the meeting by discussing ongoing efforts to strengthen NATO's deterrence and defence posture and reiterated both countries' commitment to stand together in the face of aggression and in solidarity against elements that threaten our individual and collective security.
