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Canada is prepared to send troops to a proposed multinational peacekeeping force in Ukraine if a ceasefire is reached, Defense Minister Bill Blair said Wednesday. Speaking at the Conference of Defence Associations Institute forum in Ottawa, Blair confirmed that discussions are underway with allies about Canada’s potential role in the mission.
The initiative, spearheaded by the United Kingdom and France, aims to deploy European forces to Ukraine to deter Russia from rearming and attempting further territorial gains. The plan has gained momentum following a public fallout between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over U.S. military aid.
The proposed peacekeeping force is being structured outside NATO, allowing participating nations to act without requiring alliance-wide approval. The approach circumvents opposition from Hungary and Slovakia, both of which have taken pro-Russian positions and have blocked NATO consensus on Ukraine-related initiatives.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been leading efforts to build support for the mission, with France and Ukraine involved in drafting a peace proposal. The Baltic states—Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia—and Finland have shown interest in joining the coalition, while Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has also signaled openness to contributing troops.
Russia has rejected any proposal involving a Western peacekeeping force in Ukraine. Moscow has consistently opposed NATO or EU-led security initiatives in the region, seeing them as direct threats to its influence.
Despite this, the UK and France are pushing forward with diplomatic efforts to present a peace plan to Washington. While the details remain uncertain, Canada has positioned itself as a willing participant in efforts to stabilize Ukraine if a ceasefire agreement is reached.
