Blair concludes visit to Europe and announces additional support for Ukraine and NATO

Minister of National Defence Bill Blair has concluded a trip to Europe.

During his visit, the Minister participated in the 26th Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting hosted by the United Kingdom, a meeting of NATO Defence Ministers at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, and the 61st Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany.

While in Brussels, Minister Blair reaffirmed Canada’s continued support for Ukraine and announced that Canada will deliver two more F-16 flight simulators to Ukraine from Canadian industry.

At the NATO Defence Ministers’ meeting, Blair highlighted Canada’s ongoing work to strengthen the Alliance’s deterrence and defence posture, including through our leadership of NATO’s Multinational Brigade Latvia as part of Operation REASSURANCE.

On the margins, Blair also held meetings with his counterparts to discuss a range of issues.

Blair said, “The meetings I had with my counterparts this week underscored the importance of our collective contributions to NATO as a whole. In a time of change and growing instability, Canada’s commitment to NATO remains steadfast, and I look forward to continuing to work closely with our Allies to strengthen our collective security.”