Crazy? Canada's prime minister arrived in Europe to discuss more lethal military weapons for Ukraine
In recent days, international pressure on NATO is increasing after the Western military alliance rejected Ukrainian President Zelenskiy's direct request to establish a "no-fly zone" to protect civilians.
A "no-fly zone" is an airspace designated not to allow certain aircraft to fly. This must be carried out by military means. The imposition of a "no-fly zone" over Ukraine would mean that armed forces – especially NATO forces – would confront any Russian aircraft spotted in that airspace and, if necessary, fire. To some extent, this is tantamount to NATO declaring war on Russia.
On March 6, Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau will arrive in London, England, to meet with the British prime minister and the Dutch prime minister to discuss more assistance, mainly lethal military weapons, for the beleaguered Ukrainian army.
Trudeau has repeatedly said sanctions are the West's biggest weapon against Russia.
In the past two weeks, Canada has shipped machine guns, carbines and pistols to Ukraine, as well as 15 million rounds of ammunition. Canada has also pledged to supply 4,500 M72 rocket launchers (light anti-armor weapons), up to 7,500 grenades and 100 Carl-Gustaf M2 anti-tank weapons (recoilless guns) with 2,000 rounds of ammunition.
Canada also provided non-lethal military equipment, bulletproof vests, helmets, metal detectors and night vision goggles, and pledged an additional $25 million for helmets, body armor, gas masks and other equipment.
However, so many days have passed, and Russia has not stopped waging war because of various sanctions imposed by Western countries. As more civilians have lost their lives, more than 1.5 million people in Ukraine have fled their homes.
At present, the calls of several NATO countries for the alliance to take some kind of action to stop the indiscriminate killing of civilians are getting louder and louder.
Roland Paris, a professor of international affairs at the University of Ottawa, said: "I fully understand that NATO allies, including Canada, are reluctant to engage Russia directly. ”
"This conflict could escalate quickly and spiral out of control, leading to a bigger war." NATO leaders are responsible not only for Ukraine, but also for the stability of the entire European continent. ”
