Canada and Poland discussed the shape of a possible postwar peace in Ukraine on Monday as allies continued to hammer out what sort of security guarantees they’re prepared to offer.
Prime Minister Mark Carney met with his Polish counterpart, Donald Tusk, in Warsaw where the two leaders put the finishing touches on enhanced strategic partnership.
It was also an opportunity for the two leaders to compare notes after Carney’s weekend trip to Kyiv where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and unveiled more details about Canada’s additional commitment of $2 billion in military aid.
Unlike Canada, Tusk said Poland is not prepared to offer troops as part of its security guarantees.
“I’ve also confirmed that Poland does not intend to send troops on a mission in Ukraine after the war,” Tusk said in translated remarks following his meeting with Carney.
“But Poland would be responsible for logistics, for organizing help for Ukraine, for protecting also the European-Russian-Belarusian border, because those are also Polish borders.”
While in Kyiv on Sunday, Carney said he wouldn’t rule out a Canadian troop presence in Ukraine. But what that would look like has yet to be determined.
The shape and scope of the possible ceasefire haven’t been established.
That means a peacekeeping force could be anything from an observer group all of the way up to a heavily armoured battle group.
Ukraine has demanded its allies come up with iron-clad security guarantees ahead of any potential ceasefire or peace deal with Russia. The idea is to prevent Moscow from resuming its war at some point in the future.
The allies may be talking and pledging, but the Kremlin has said it will not agree to any postwar security force underwritten by the United States or any other NATO member.
The idea of a so-called coalition of countries willing to guarantee Ukraine’s security was first proposed by the French and British.
As part of the new package of military assistance unveiled by Canada is a proposal for the joint manufacturing of drones with Ukraine.
On Sunday, Carney and Defence Minister David McGuinty toured a Ukrainian drone manufacturer.
Ukraine — a world leader in small combat drones — just signed a $50-billion deal with the United States and is reportedly getting ready to open manufacturing facilities in Europe.
The scope of Canada’s arrangement is yet to be defined, McGuinty said.
“Look, that’s to be resolved,” he told Canadian reporters in Warsaw on Monday.
“What we did do yesterday was agree that both countries would co-operate in the manufacturing of drones.”
