Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised Baltic leaders Tuesday that Canada will stand with them to fight the Kremlin香蕉视频直播檚 war on Ukraine and its cyberattacks on their countries.

Trudeau is in Latvia where he met privately with Prime Minister Kri拧j膩nis Kari艈拧, followed by an expanded session via teleconference with leaders from Estonia and Lithuania.

香蕉视频直播淵ou are literally on the front lines of this challenge with Russia,香蕉视频直播� he said.

Russia香蕉视频直播檚 invasion of Ukraine is now in its 13th day. Trudeau said Russia has 香蕉视频直播渨eaponized香蕉视频直播� misinformation not only against Ukraine but in all 香蕉视频直播渄emocracies around the West.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淨uite frankly, you have been living not just with the military threat, not just with the history of occupation 香蕉视频直播� but also, the daily use of propaganda and disinformation to try and undermine the democracy and the values you have,香蕉视频直播� Trudeau said.

He later visited the 膧da啪i Military Base with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. The base, northeast of Riga, is where NATO troops are stationed in a mission led by several hundred Canadians.

They were joined by Defence Minister Anita Anand, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro S谩nchez, and Canadian defence chief Gen. Wayne Eyre for a tour of a massive battlefield scattered with a dozen heavy tanks and artillery pieces.

They met Canadian troops and their allies that had been war gaming live combat exercises for the last eight days.

香蕉视频直播淚t shows the unity of the world standing together,香蕉视频直播� Trudeau told a group of Canadian troops, clad in combat fatigues and green face paint.

香蕉视频直播淗aving a whole bunch of flags beside each other in the field香蕉视频直播� is a challenge, he added, but he praised the soldiers for setting an example for the world by working so well with their allies.

Navigating dirt that was a times ankle deep, the entourage visited with soldiers from the 10 NATO countries that are stationed here.

香蕉视频直播淭hey see renewed purpose. It香蕉视频直播檚 the front line of freedom,香蕉视频直播� Eyre said.

Trudeau asked questions of a Latvian commander from a hilltop bunker that overlooked the massive plain of rutted dirt.

Canada leads the NATO battle group in Latvia, which is part of NATO香蕉视频直播檚 long-standing deterrence efforts against Russia 香蕉视频直播� a mission that taken on new significance in light of the Russian invasion.

It is one of four such efforts in the Baltics and Poland, designed to demonstrate the strength of the NATO alliance in the region against Russia.

Putin takes great offence at the NATO buildup on his country香蕉视频直播檚 borders. He has opposed NATO香蕉视频直播檚 expansion into countries that were once in the sphere of the former Soviet Union.

Ukraine is not a NATO member but was seeking membership in the 30-country transatlantic alliance as well as closer ties with the European Union. Russia annexed Ukraine香蕉视频直播檚 Crimean Peninsula in 2014 after the overthrow of the Kremlin-backed administration in Kyiv.

That marked the most significant breach of Europe香蕉视频直播檚 borders since the Second World War 香蕉视频直播� a milestone now eclipsed by Russia香蕉视频直播檚 invasion of Ukraine.

Trudeau said the ongoing show of unity among NATO allies and other democracies to back Ukraine is a critical part of bringing the crisis to a close.

Kari艈拧 told Trudeau the Russian invasion did not succeed in 香蕉视频直播渄riving a wedge between Europe and North America, driving a wedge between NATO partners.香蕉视频直播� Instead, he said, 香蕉视频直播渢he exact opposite香蕉视频直播� happened and there has been a 香蕉视频直播渃oming together of minds.香蕉视频直播�

Trudeau told the Baltic leaders that Canada has the third largest population of Ukrainians in the world after Ukraine and Russia, 香蕉视频直播渟o we are deeply, deeply troubled and engaged by this conflict in Ukraine.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淲e are demonstrating that, unlike what Putin thinks or mistakenly thought, democracies can and will defend not just themselves and their territory, but the principles and rules and the values that actually make us successful,香蕉视频直播� Trudeau said.

His arrival in Riga came after a daylong visit to the United Kingdom for meetings with Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. He is also to visit Poland and Germany later this week.

香蕉视频直播擬ike Blanchfield, The Canadian Press