TBILISI (Sputnik) — On Thursday, Canada confirmed its plans to provide troops for a 4,000-strong NATO force in Eastern Europe.
“Not so much to provoke conflict. We see as a preventive measure. I think that Canada feels that if Europe is going to be at risk of conflict such as in Ukraine, that may move forward to the Baltic states, by being there [in Eastern Europe] we may prevent that from happening. We will be peace making force," Hedy Fry said, when asked whether the measure could be considered as the provocation of Russia.
Since 2014, NATO has been building up its military presence in Europe, using Moscow's alleged interference in Ukraine as a pretext for the move. Moscow has repeatedly denied the claims and warned NATO that the military buildup near Russia’s borders is provocative and threatens the existing strategic balance of power.
