Canada to contribute troops for new NATO battalions in Eastern Europe
Canada will take the lead role in the battalions’ creation, in order to support a program of deterrence and defense in Central and Eastern Europe, according to the government of Canada’s website.
“As one of the four leading nations, Canada intends to create and lead the rotary multinational battle group of NATO, which will contribute to increasing the presence of NATO in Eastern and Central Europe, along with the United States, Britain and Germany,” stated the message.
More information about the contribution of the Canadian Armed Forces will be announced at the NATO summit, which will be held in Warsaw July 8-9, 2016. According to Reuters, the Canadian military will be based in Latvia.
As reported, the defense ministers of the NATO countries agreed on the decision to place four multinational battalions in Poland, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia. They will be one of the program elements of NATO's rapid reaction. New battalions from NATO may appear in the Baltic States and Poland in 2017.