It Begins: Canada To Send Military Equipment To Ukraine

The title is taken from this report....

And so it begins.

Moments ago Bloomberg reported, citing Defense minister Rob Nicholson speaking in Trenton, Ontario, that Canada, a NATO member, will send military equipment to Ukraine. Ukraine will in turn supposedly use supplies to protect eastern border Nicholson speaking to reporters, although perhaps one should ask ISIS where US military equipment that was meant for Al-Qaeda, pardon, Syrian rebels to dethrone Assad ended up...

Please note...this is EQUIPMENT not boots on the ground.

To be sure this expansion is purely symbolic however the first formal entrance of a NATO member into the Ukraine conflict will assure it only escalates from here.

What happens next is anyone's guess, however with this formal expansion of the "regional" proxy war to include western powers, thereby making the new Cold War quite warm, Putin will certainly take an appropriate response seeing what was until now a confined civil war involving "only" Ukraine participants, if only on paper, expand into global.

More here...please read...
Canada to send equipment

Will this move be the final straw that breaks the bears back?

Rainbows
Jane

I wonder what type of equipment we are sending?.......I mean we leased or rented German tanks when we were stupid enough to go to Afghanistan to fight a stupid war with no end.

I would love to see us just mind our own business and stay on this side of the pond.
Good find OP, even if it disturbs me more than you will know.
S&F

Regards, Iwinder

Oh how I love it when claims are made in articles where the person posting takes creative liberties (not the OP - the article and the person who wrote it).

first off Canada is not the first NATO member to send items to Ukraine.

Secondly Canada is sending the exact same equipment the US sent -
Washington Post - Canada will send military supplies to Ukraine

Defense Minister Rob Nicholson said Thursday that Canada will deliver helmets, ballistic eyewear, protective vests, first aid kits, tents and sleeping bags to Ukrainian troops.

So no this is not an escalation.
What it is is an attempt by the person writing the article to make this into something its not.

Other sources -
CBC - Updated
Ukraine to get helmets, vests from Canada to help protect border

and SeaDoos

a reply to: Xcathdra

Thank you for the added info...much appreciated.

Rainbows
Jane

I wish I knew what the equipment is going over there. I don't think any troops will be there, maybe advisers like Vietnam.
Russian equipment shot down the Malaysian Airlines jet, unless it was a false flag.

The problem is when Ukraine gave up their nuclear weapons, we (NATO) signed a security pact that we would protect their sovereignty. This not doing anything would cause countries to never trust NATO and the West again. They probably already don't which is dangerous because they will look for another power. Possibly buying nuclear capability from Pakistan or someone else. Many nuclear warheads have disappeared from Russian stockpiles after the fall, and that includes 84 nuclear suitcase bombs that were never returned to the KGB upon the fall. If one of those missing warheads is used all bets are off. So, it appears Canada is starting to honor the agreement with Ukraine in only the most uninvolved way. At some point troops will be required or at least air power, and that means a major escalation of the conflict in a proxy war between Russia and NATO.

It will depend on the equipment and the involvement of other assets that will make the cold war being fought in other countries over Soviet expansion and NATO containment either a hot or proxy war.

Something that should cause pause in anyone is the statement by a Russian PM in 2013 said that if the US used it's advanced conventional ability against Soviet military that it would use nuclear weapons in retaliation. They said they could not keep up with technological advances and the arms race in the us. They said that the US will be capable of striking anywhere on the surface of the Earth in 30 minutes or less with precision munitions. Hence the nuclear threat.

On 11 December 2013, Vice Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin has warned that Russia will use nuclear weapons if it comes under an attack, adding that this possibility serves as the main deterrent to potential provocateurs and aggressors.

"One can experiment as long as one wishes by deploying non-nuclear warheads on strategic missile carriers. But one should keep in mind that if there is an attack against us, we will certainly resort to using nuclear weapons in certain situations to defend our territory and state interests", Rogozin, the defense industry chief said on Wednesday speaking at the State Duma, the lower house.

Source: see Russian Response

ETA: Just saw what equipment they were sending. Not a worry to the Russians. However, pressure is on to provide real weapons and then there would be a concern of Russia's response.

Zero Hedge is not the best place to be, it's also essentially a monetary blog known to have contributor/s with dodgy insider dealings. It goes without saying that the news department stories will be slanted toward influencing money markets around the world.

Crazy war mongering Canucks
You may recall, not too long ago, there were many on this site saying WW3 was going to start in Syria when they used chemical weapons. Of course they were wrong in their thinking, but the Ukraine crisis has the "potential" to blow up into a big old fashioned shooting war. This type of problem is inevitable, the US has withdrawn as a power player. Naturally countries will flex their muscle and try to fill the vacuum. I am inclined to let it happen, Europe's condescending view of the United States has always covered their deep seated inadequacy issues. They lived under the US protection for so long they started believing it was normal. Forgetting all their history of wars.

V

Why would we send anything to ukraine, when we still have equipment in khandahar and we have no means to bring it back.

originally posted by: Variable
Crazy war mongering Canucks

You may recall, not too long ago, there were many on this site saying WW3 was going to start in Syria when they used chemical weapons. Of course they were wrong in their thinking, but the Ukraine crisis has the "potential" to blow up into a big old fashioned shooting war. This type of problem is inevitable, the US has withdrawn as a power player. Naturally countries will flex their muscle and try to fill the vacuum. I am inclined to let it happen, Europe's condescending view of the United States has always covered their deep seated inadequacy issues. They lived under the US protection for so long they started believing it was normal. Forgetting all their history of wars.
V

WTF is that statement all about? Haaachpingding into the spittoon. The OP's linked story, (no harm to the OP) is a shiite story to begin with. I think someone has just dug you up out of hibernation.

So, are maybe the air strikes in Iraq to get us looking in another direction while equipment and both sides of the Ukrainian conflict are beefed up? Left hand... No right hand... Left hand... arg! Which to watch!?

Alleged air strikes* I guess; hasn't been confirmed.

Great!
Now the pissed up Ukrainians will be all nice and comfy on their extended drunken camping trip!
Just DONT send TROOPS!!

Yeah, & whats hidden inside the sleeping bags?
Who's there to check it?
Ukrainian customs???
Give me a break, this is bull shyte and we all know it.

Maybe Canada is sending snowshoes. What the heck is going on, if countries start sending in weapons so will Russia.

I don't know, don't know. Why do we have to play these War games.

a reply to: angelchemuel

Seems like the ingredients for a world war are being stirred up in Ukraine.

Defense Minister Rob Nicholson said Thursday that Canada will deliver helmets, ballistic eyewear, protective vests, first aid kits, tents and sleeping bags to Ukrainian troops.

And the Lusitania didn't have any weapons on board either.

WWIII is right on schedule.

originally posted by: Iwinder
I wonder what type of equipment we are sending?.......I mean we leased or rented German tanks when we were stupid enough to go to Afghanistan to fight a stupid war with no end.

I would love to see us just mind our own business and stay on this side of the pond.
Good find OP, even if it disturbs me more than you will know.
S&F

Regards, Iwinder

I see no reason to get involved in the Ukraine, we should drop out of NATO (and NAFTA, and the TAP, and the TPP, geez, retract all the stupid treaties, they've destroyed Canada. There's a bunch of Bills that need to be retracted as well. Anyway, every third party war has dragged Canada deeper into debt and lost us credibility as a nation of peacekeepers.

And yeah, remember when we were considered polite and neutral? I think that was sometime before the Dulroney's, the Cretin's including Martin and this most recent assclown, Harpy. I am not saying that things were really any better under Trudeau (that jesuit trained jagoff that really started the downhill slide), but at least the politicocreeps were a little more careful in hiding their corruption. Just wait, if the spawn of jesuit Pierre and psycho Margo gets in, stick a fork in us, 'cause we be done.

Isn't it funny how after NAFTA and getting more involved in US politics and policies (and the big Israel push), Canada has gone way downhill?

Cheers - Dave

Would Canada be sending war material to the Ukraine if Justin Trudeau was it's Prime Minister?

Our tory government becomes more hated every day.

The only situation in which I can see them retaining power would be in a war or it's imminence.

Therefore that is exactly what they will be striving for.

The Canadian public would be more comfortable with a Hawk than a Dove if we were attacked.

I can't imagine the MIC allowing Trudeau to become PM.

a reply to: Psynic

I was not aware sleeping bags are considered war material?

Everyone knows that Canada will never have to stand alone,when the Canadians decide to enter the fray,it means that all Stakeholders have been given a last call to resolve their differences.

N.A.T.O or not,Canada does not EVER jump the gun and when they do move it is with 100% intentions,Canada never Bluffs,it isnt in their Nature.

Things are definately picking up momentum.