Protecting trainers Canada's priority as France pushes new mission in Ukraine, top soldier says

Protecting military trainers in the event they're deployed back into Ukraine is the primary concern for Canadian defence planners as France steps up pressure on allies to join its training initiative, Canada's top military commander says.

The federal government signaled earlier in the spring it would consider putting non-combat troops back into the embattled Eastern European country when «circumstances are appropriate.»

Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Wayne Eyre received a briefing on the training mission from his French counterpart following D-Day commemoration ceremonies last week.

In an interview with to be broadcast Sunday, Eyre acknowledged the security assistance deal Canada signed with Ukraine last winter set up a framework for the return for Canadian trainers to Ukrainian soil. He said there are a number of important points Canada wants to get settled before it send trainers back in.

Canadian Armed Forces planners are «mainly concerned with force protection, what the security situation [on the ground] is and what are the political conditions,» Eyre said.

Canada and other allies started operating military training missions inside Ukraine in 2015, well before Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

The battle schools for Ukrainian troops have continued in the United Kingdom, Poland and Latvia. But the French and other allies, including the Baltic States, have pushed to bring the instruction closer to the front where Ukrainians have to fight.

In early June, Chief of the Defence Staff of France Gen. Thierry Burkhard sent letters to roughly 10 countries inviting them to join a multinational coalition to train the military in Ukraine.

Canadian defence officials would not confirm whether Canada had received