Sep 22 2023 — Murray Brewster — CBC — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was welcomed Friday morning to Parliament Hill — where experts say he can expect a political reception less chilly than the one he experienced recently in Washington D.C. “I have a lot of words, warm words and thanks from Ukraine to you, your beautiful country,” Zelenskyy said ahead of a bilateral […]
Sep 21 2023 — Murray Brewster — CBC — The Canadian Army has dozens of older troop carriers it plans to send to the scrapheap this year — even though a private company has offered to refurbish them for use in Ukraine. The Department of National Defence (DND) says 67 tracked light armour vehicles (TLAVs) out of a fleet of 140 are “parked awaiting […]
Sep 13 2023 — Murray Brewster — CBC — The long process of replacing Canada’s fleet of C-150 Polaris transports and air tankers — one of which broke down spectacularly this week, stranding Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in India — has been hung up in part by the desire of the federal government and the air force not to put the cart before the […]
Sep 7 2023 — Murray Brewster — CBC — One of the country’s leading business voices warned Thursday that Canada’s economic security faces external threats — and called on Ottawa to give its spies the power to share intelligence with private firms being targeted for foreign interference. The Business Council of Canada, composed of chief executives and entrepreneurs in the country’s major companies, issued […]
Sep 5 2023 — Murray Brewster — CBC — High prices, corporate rivalries and a shortage of spare parts hobbled efforts this spring to set up a new repair facility in Poland for Ukraine’s Leopard tanks — and in some cases have limited the usefulness of the donated western vehicles, CBC News has learned. Poland, Germany and Canada began discussions back in the spring […]
Jul 11 2023 — Murray Brewster — CBC — NATO leaders opened the door a bit wider for Ukraine on Tuesday by offering it an accelerated path to membership and continued support while it’s at war with Russia. The decision by the 31-nation military alliance falls short of the clear pathway with timelines for acceptance that the government of President Volodomyr Zelenskyy has been […]
Jul 11 2023 — Murray Brewster — CBC — NATO leaders gathered in Lithuania’s capital on Tuesday after spending the days running up to their annual summit bulldozing some of the most contentious and divisive issues — including defence spending and Sweden’s proposed membership in the military alliance — off the agenda. However, concern about the decision by the United States to provide cluster […]
Jul 8 2023 — Murray Brewster — CBC — More than 500 days after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the embattled country’s political leaders say they expect Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to be in their corner at next week’s NATO summit. The leaders of the western military alliance are set to debate the timing and conditions of Ukraine’s admission to NATO. Some […]
Jun 29 2023 — Murray Brewster — CBC — Britain’s defence secretary delivered a polite but pointed reminder Thursday of NATO’s expectations of its member states — including Canada — when it comes to defence spending. And Ben Wallace did it in front of his Canadian counterpart, Defence Minister Anita Anand. The two met in London as part of Anand’s visit to the United […]
Jun 12 2023 — Murray Brewster — CBC — When the subject of security guarantees and a pathway for Ukraine to join NATO was discussed at an informal function in Ottawa recently, one member of the diplomatic community started humming a few bars from an old Paul McCartney and Wings song. “Someone’s knockin’ at the door. Someone’s ringin’ the bell. Do me favour? Open […]
Jun 11 2023 — Murray Brewster — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appears to have acknowledged that his country’s long-awaited counteroffensive to drive Russian forces out of the occupied eastern and southern regions has begun. It was, however, a muted recognition. Zelenskyy — who is often a master communicator and always in charge of his country’s narrative — seemed to adhere to the […]
Jun 10 2023 — Murray Brewster — CBC — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau paid a surprise visit to Kyiv on Saturday and announced $500 million more in Canadian military aid as Ukraine has stepped up its long-anticipated counteroffensive to drive Russia’s army out of occupied eastern and southern regions of the battered country. Earlier in the day, Trudeau, who was accompanied by Deputy Prime […]
Jun 5 2023 — Murray Brewster — CBC — There’s a phrase soldiers use to describe equipment they’ve bought themselves to augment what the army gives them. They call it Gucci gear, after the luxury fashion designer. For Canadian troops deployed in Latvia, those private purchases have been decidedly more practical than luxurious — given the fact that they’re taking part in more live […]
May 27 2023 — Murray Brewster — CBC — Almost a decade ago, a military conflict between the United States and its allies on one side and China on the other was described by major foreign policy and defence observers as the “unthinkable war.” Lately, it’s become clear that those same experts are now thinking through the unthinkable. After the recent G7 summit in […]
May 21 2023 — Murray Brewster — CBC — ‘I want to thank you, your government, also Canadian people for supporting us,’ Ukraine president says. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met Volodymyr Zelenskyy early Sunday on the margins of the Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima, Japan, where the leaders of the world’s leading democratic economies heard a dramatic in-person appeal from the Ukrainian president […]