As Russia masses its troops, Canadian soldiers in Eastern Europe keep watch

From an elevated bunker overlooking a mock battlefield, Canadian Lt.-Col. John Benson has an excellent view of the NATO armoured vehicles spinning their machine gun turrets and manoeuvring through the mud and snow.

He likes what he sees.

"We have absolutely no doubt that we are able to accomplish the tasks that are given to us," Benson told CBC News during an exercise dubbed "Winter Shield" at Camp Ādaži, about an hour outside the Latvian capital, Riga.

Benson is the battle group commander in charge of the 500 Canadians stationed here, Canada's largest overseas military presence.

The base, which hosts soldiers from 13 NATO countries, is roughly 300 kilometres from the border with Russia and is considered a key part of the alliance's eastern Europe defence.

The Canadians stationed here are monitoring the build-up of as many as 100,000 combat-ready Russian troops to the south, on the border with Ukraine. Belarus, which shares a border with Latvia, has also just started new military exercises along its frontier with Ukraine.

Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and other NATO foreign ministers are meeting in Riga this week to discuss how to respond to the Russian build-up and any potential attack.

Both Stoltenberg and Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly were at the base Monday in advance of the NATO meetings.

If Russia makes a military move against Ukraine, "there will be consequences, and there will be costs," Stoltenberg told CBC News, emphasizing that "Ukraine is a close NATO partner."   

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The crucial distinction is that Ukraine is not a NATO "member," and while its defence is seen as key to European security, the alliance is under no legal obligation to respond to a Russian attack.

This has created a bit of a guessing game among many, including Canadian soldiers here, about precisely what consequences Russia would face if hostilities broke out, and what role NATO troops in the region might be called upon to play.

Russian troops took over and illegally annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine in 2014. Shortly afterward, Russia began providing support to separatists in Eastern Ukraine, helping fuel a conflict that has lasted seven years and claimed more than 13,000 lives.

This past spring, Russian forces staged another troop mobilization but backed off after President Vladimir Putin secured a meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden. But U.S. officials have warned Russia's build-up in recent weeks appears more organized and combat-ready.