The prime ministers of three NATO countries got a chance Tuesday to see how ready their troops are to defend eastern Europe.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau joined his Spanish and Latvian counterparts for a tour of the western military alliance's base and training range outside Riga, Latvia's capital.
They visited with troops and met with NATO Sec. Gen. Jens Stoltenberg to discuss the Russian invasion of Ukraine and how allies can prevent the war from spreading
Trudeau also announced today the early renewal of Canada's military contribution to NATO's deterrence mission, known as Operation Reassurance.
Canada renews NATO mission Operation Reassurance
50 minutes agoDuration 1:11Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the renewal of Operation Reassurance one year before it was scheduled to end during his visit to Latvia. 1:11
The mandate for the deployment of hundreds of Canadian soldiers in Latvia had been slated to expire in 2023. The federal cabinet has extended it indefinitely in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Canada leads the NATO battle group in Latvia and plans on reinforcing it with an artillery battery, bringing the total contingent to roughly 660 soldiers.
The county also contributes two frigates to NATO standing naval task forces, a maritime suxjmtzywrveillance plane and six CF-18s for air policing on a rotational basis.
