By Canadian Press

Canada will deploy Leopard 2 tank squadron to NATO battlegroup in Latvia

Jun 16, 2023 | 7:11 AM

OTTAWA — The Canadian Armed Forces will deploy 15 Leopard 2 battle tanks and 130 personnel to a NATO force in Latvia by next year.

Defence Minister Anita Anand made the announcement from Brussels, where she is meeting with defence ministers from countries that support Ukraine’s efforts to fight Russia’s invasion.

Canada already leads a 10-country NATO battlegroup in Latvia and negotiations are underway to grow that force to a battle-ready brigade.

The 15 tanks and 50 support vehicles will come from New Brunswick and Alberta.

It’s expected that the vehicles will arrive in Latvia by the fall, with the full group of personnel in place by next spring.

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Anand says her counterparts at NATO are enthusiastic about the idea of Ukraine joining the military alliance when the time is right.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 16, 2023.

The Canadian Press