HMCS Halifax departs to Europe for NATO support during Russian invasion of Ukraine

HALIFAX -

A second Canadian warship left Halifax on Saturday to support NATO efforts in northern European waters, a day after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau convened his Incident Response Group to discuss Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

Defence Minister Anita Anand was on hand as the HMCS Halifax departed for the six-month deployment, and told the flag-waving crowd of family members and onlookers that the crew's contribution to NATO's deterrence measures will help Europe uphold its "strength and sovereignty."

"It is so important for us all to be united, to stand together against unwarranted and illegal Russian aggression and to stand up for peace, deterrence and the defensive posture on which NATO is built," she said.

The ship's 253-person crew included an embedded Air Detachment with a CH-148 Cyclone helicopter.

Its deployment comes after HMCS Montreal left in January for the Mediterranean and Black Sea.

Anand did not take questions during Saturday's event, but she noted that the HMCS Halifax's departure is part of Canada's increased commitment to NATO.

Countries in the alliance have a goal of spending two per cent of their domestic economies on defence, and the latest figures peg Canada's defence spending at just 1.39 per cent of the GDP in 2021.

"This is the tangible result of increased government of Canada's commitments to NATO and, in fact, what the (HMCS) Halifax is doing is representing a portion of that commitment," she said, without providing concrete figures.

Trudeau's Incident Response Group touted Canada's support of NATO's efforts in Europe and its participation in Operation Reassurance, which was renewed a year ahead of schedule.

"The prime minister and ministers decided to continue working alongside allies and international partners to support Ukraine as they seek to address the security and humanitarian challenges in the region," a readout from the meeting says.

The Incident Response Group, which was formed in 2018, meets to discuss crises in Canada and those that happen elsewhere but have implications in this country.

Trudeau and other ministers also repeated a call for Russia to allow civilians to access humanitarian corridors.

"The prime minister and ministers emphasized Canada's unwavering commitment to support Ukraine's sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity. They praised the exceptional courage of the Ukrainian people in the face of Russia's ongoing aggression," the readout says.

Trudeau plans to meet with partners from NATO, the G7 and the European Union during a trip to Europe next week to further advance support for Ukraine.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 19, 2022.