Canada’s defence minister defends move to track Russian warships in Cuba
Global News
A spokesman for National Defence Minister Bill Blair's office said the visit to Havana's port 'was carefully and fulsomely planned.'
National Defence Minister Bill Blair’s office is defending the decision to send a Canadian ship to Cuba where it docked alongside some of Russia’s fleet, calling it a “carefully” planned move to increase its presence in the region.
Spokesman Daniel Minden issued a statement on Sunday saying the visit to Havana’s port “was carefully and fulsomely planned,” and the minister authorized it on the advice of the Royal Canadian Navy and Canadian Joint Operations Command.
“We’ve made the smart choice to boost our naval presence in the region this week,” the statement reads.
“We believe that this marked an especially important time to show a Canadian presence.”
The Opposition Conservatives took to social media to criticize the move after Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly told CBC News during a recent interview she was unaware that one of Canada’s patrol vessels was docked in Havana at the same time as Russian warships.
“This is information that is news to me,” the minister told host David Cochrane.
Michael Chong, the Conservatives’ foreign affairs critic, questioned why Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government sent a Canadian ship to “celebrate” relations “with a communist dictatorship at all,” referring to Cuba.
“Let alone while Russian warships are docked there?” Chong posted on X.
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