Canada will more than double military presence in Latvia: Trudeau

This is the way forward in modern defence’

It will take another three years for Canada to make good on its commitment to grow a multinational NATO battle group in Latvia to a combat-ready brigade, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau revealed Monday.

The two countries have signed a “road map” outlining the process, which began more than a year ago when Canada pledged to increase the size and capability of the battle group as part of NATO’s efforts to reinforce its eastern flank in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The document sets out three phases for the work, which will eventually involve as many as 2,200 persistently deployed Canadian troops plus the ability to add hundreds of additional Armed Forces members as needed. It states that brigade buildup will be completed in 2025 and that Latvia will work to build new infrastructure.

“By 2026, Canada will complete the full implementation of persistently deployed brigade capabilities to Latvia,” the document says.

Canada will more than double military presence in Latvia: Trudeau | National Post