Joly won't rule out sending weapons to Ukraine over Russian military offensive, says Ottawa 'actively' engaged

Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly hasn't ruled out the possibility of Canada sending weapons to Ukraine as Russia amasses troops along the Eastern border, noting that her cabinet colleagues are working closely on the issue.

In an interview on CTV’s Question Period with host Evan Solomon airing Sunday, Joly says she’s had many conversations with her Ukrainian counterpart and Canada’s calls for Russian de-escalation remain firm.

“We call on Russia, along with all NATO allies to stop their military buildup next to Ukraine… when it comes to dealing with the threat that Russia poses right now, that is exactly why I had on Friday, an important meeting with all the foreign ministers of NATO because it is important as an alliance that we show strength and unity and resolve,” she said.

Pressed repeatedly on whether Canada would send weaponry to help defend Ukrainian troops in the circumstance of a Russian invasion, Joly said only that her team is actively engaged in the issue.

“The most important thing right now is really to work with Ukrainians to deal with their security threats. That's what we'll be doing. My colleague Anita Anand, the defence minister, is actively on this file as well with allies…Ukraine's security is Europe's security and therefore it is the world and Canada's security,” she said.