Calling NATO the strongest defence alliance in history, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says one message Canada and its allies want to send to Russia is that Canada will be there for Ukraine with as much as it takes.

”In the core of these security guarantees is multi-year commitments to continue to be there for Ukraine,” Trudeau said as the NATO summit wrapped up in Lithuania.

”Vladimir Putin wants to wait out and grind down the alliance, grind down Ukrainians, well, he’s not going to be able to because we will be there for as long as it takes.  And that’s what these security assurances are all about.”

Trudeau says Canada unequivocally supports Ukraine’s membership in NATO but repeated that it will happen ”when conditions allow.”

The prime minister also announced that the Canadian military will welcome Ukrainian officer cadets to this country for an intensive training program developed in partnership with NATO.