Joly wants to keep Putin in the dark on NATO plans

Foreign minister says Canada, allies shouldn't reveal 'red lines'

- TONDA MACCHARLES

Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly underlined that Canada has made contributions to arming Ukraine, but said "we need to make sure there are more air defence systems."

The question of just how far NATO allies including Canada will go to help Ukraine win the war against Russia should remain one of “strategic ambiguity,” says Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly.

“I think Putin has no red line,” Joly told a conference on CanadaU.S. relations. “Ukraine is the frontline of Europe and afterwards it’s NATO territory. So I think we should keep that strategic ambiguity. We should not be clearly showing what are our red lines to Russia.”

Joly and a leading U.S. lawmaker, Democratic Sen. Chris Coons, stressed their countries’ determination to see Ukraine win the war during a panel to discuss the bilateral relationship and issues ranging from trade to defence.

But challenges remain, with the U.S. only recently delivering promised military aid after it was stalled in Congress, and more debate swirling over whether NATO allies will put military trainers’ boots on the ground in Ukraine as the war grinds on.