Photo: The Canadian Press Members of the Canadian Armed Forces are due to leave an Ontario military base this week to assist in the care, coordination and resettlement of Ukrainian refugees in Poland. Defense Secretary Anita Anand is expected to announce this morning that troops will soon be deployed from the Canadian base in Trenton, after a reconnaissance team visited Poland last week to plan the mission. A government source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the troops would help care for and coordinate Ukrainian refugees, more than 2.6 million of whom have fled to Poland since the Russian invasion in February. They will also help Ukrainians leave Poland for other destinations. Canada has given priority to immigration applications from Ukraine and has created a special program that allows Ukrainian citizens and their families to come to Canada and work or study for three years. The Canadian Armed Forces previously had 260 military trainers in Poland after being evacuated from Ukraine shortly before Russia began its invasion on February 24. The trainers provided some humanitarian assistance during the first weeks of the conflict, but have since been relocated back to Canada on a temporary basis, according to the military. Since the start of the war, Canada has provided millions of dollars in loans to the Ukrainian government, along with military weapons and equipment for its military. It has also imposed sanctions on hundreds of Russian politicians and business leaders and called on the International Criminal Court to investigate the country for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
