[國際新聞] Russian Warships Approach Canada Frigate With Harper Aboard speaking

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Two Russian warships tracked HMCS Fredericton as it carried Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper in the Baltic Sea Wednesday, according to the frigate’s captain.

Commander Jeff Murray, speaking to reporters after the ship docked in northern Poland, said such encounters with Russian ships and warplanes in the area are common. The ships “came no closer” than seven nautical miles and didn’t pose a threat to the Prime Minister, he said.

“It’s normal and expected for them to be operating in the Baltic Sea,” Murray said. “What exactly they were doing I’m not in a position to say.”

The Fredericton is the lone Canadian ship taking part in NATO exercises in the Baltic, which started last year in response to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

“The Royal Canadian Navy’s presence here is the physical demonstration that Canada stands up for what is right and good in our troubled world,” Harper said in a press conference Wednesday. The Prime Minister spent Tuesday night aboard the Fredericton along with his his wife Laureen, Defense Minister Jason Kenney and other government officials.

Harper criticized Russian actions in the region, echoing a message he has delivered since beginning his European tour with a visit to Ukraine.

‘Putin’s Recklessness’

“Now, just beyond NATO’s borders, we see new efforts to subvert free peoples and redraw boundaries by force,” Harper said, blaming Russian President Vladimir Putin for the loss of thousands of lives in Ukraine.

“Mr. Putin’s recklessness threatens global stability, regional stability, and has spread fear among our eastern allies,” Harper said. “We look forward to a Russia not inclined to foreign adventures, territorial conquests and absurd attempts to deny reality or change the outcome of the Cold War.”

HMCS Fredericton, a refurbished Halifax-class frigate, joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization task force in January. Its sea trials included exercises in amphibious landing, gunnery and counter-terrorism measures, said Colonel Daniel Geleyn, Canada’s Defense Attache in Poland and five other neighboring countries.

On Wednesday, the Russian and Canadian ships “altered” their routes in response to one another, Murray said. “There was never a threat present.”

Harper’s presence meant the Fredericton did not participate in any “direct” way in NATO exercises on this outing, the captain said.

Economic Sanctions

The Prime Minister is traveling in Europe as part of meetings with Group of Seven colleagues. He is due to visit Italy later Wednesday.

After the G-7 summit in Germany, U.S. President Barack Obama said the European Union is committed to keeping sanctions in place on Russia until it backs off destabilizing actions in Ukraine. Harper said Wednesday the sanctions should be “toughened” if necessary.

During a June 6 stop in Kiev, the Prime Minister pledged to send officers and provide funding to bolster the Ukrainian police force, his latest show of support for the country.

Canada will never accept the Russian occupation of Crimea or parts of eastern Ukraine, Harper said Saturday after meeting Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko.