As the Russian government escalates tensions and the possibility of a military conflict on its border with Ukraine through mass mobilization of troops and military equipment, the Ukrainian government has asked for foreign assistance to support to help defend against a possible Russian offensive.
On November 29, 2021 Russian government media published an article claiming that the presence of NATO allied troops in Ukraine violates the Minsk Protocol, which were first signed in 2014 and the second version in 2015, in hopes of ending the Russian government backed offensive in Eastern Ukraine. The article is based on a quote by a Kremlin backed separatist leader, Rodion Miroshnik, who falsely stated that Ukraine’s recent request for foreign military support represented a violation of the Minsk Accords.
The Russian state media report cites article 10 of the Minsk II Protocol which requires the “withdrawal of all foreign armed units, military hardware and mercenaries from Ukraine under the OSCE’s monitoring”. The foreign armed units, hardware and mercenaries referred to in article 10 clearly refer to those deployed in support of separatist and terrorist groups that initiated and continue to engage in the conflict. It does not refer to any forces deployed to train on advise the Ukrainian government or armed forces.
The text of article 10 in the original Minsk I accords, both in Russian and English, requires the removal of “unlawful military formations, military hardware, as well as militants and mercenaries from the territory of Ukraine.”
The Ukrainian government has never abdicated its sovereign right to seek the support of any nation in efforts to secure its borders and its citizens from foreign invasion. Nor can Russia impose itself on or dictate the conditions by which Ukraine can defend itself.
The manipulative interpretation of the wording of the Minsk Protocol by Russian state media and activists who share the Kremlin’s authoritarian worldview, is intended to sow doubts about Canadian military support for Ukraine. The erosion of a united transatlantic position and support for Ukraine, is a primary Kremlin objective. NATO and Western support are a barrier that prevents Putin from asserting control over Ukraine.
The Canadian Armed Forces have been present in Ukraine, training members of the Ukrainian armed forces since 2015. There are 200 CAF members currently in Ukraine as part of Operation Unifier – which will currently run until March 2022. The mission is intended to help develop Ukrainian defensive capabilities so that the nation can independently defending its borders and sovereignty against foreign aggression.
The operation Unifier is part of the Multinational Joint Commission, a larger body composed of the U.S., UK, Canada, Sweden, Poland, Lithuania and Denmark.
In 2014, Russian armed forces invaded and occupied Ukraine in Crimea and the Donbas regions. In July 2014, individuals linked to Russian security services, using a Russian surface-to-air missile, shot down a civilian airliner. The Minsk Protocol was signed by Russia, Ukraine and the OSCE to end the conflict. Russian backed forces have continued shelling in Eastern Ukraine since signing the Minsk Protocol.
