Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has just returned from a surprise visit to kyiv, Irpin and Boutcha – a trip where he met, among others, President Volodymyr Zelensky and announced the reopening of the Canadian Embassy in the Ukrainian capital.
Radio-Canada spoke with three security experts to better understand how to prepare for this type of fast trip, in a risk zone.
1. It is not declared
This is probably the most important rule, for security, and the one followed by several heads of state and foreign ministers who have visited Ukraine in recent weeks: wait when you are already there or,, once you leave, to publicly announce the a trip to the country at war.
An unannounced visit is easier to manage than an announced visitexplained Normand Desrochers, who was Jean Charest’s bodyguard when he was Premier of Quebec.
When the leader’s itinerary was announced in advance, he added, the lone wolf or the criminal organization – or in this case, the Russian military – has more time and information at its disposal to prepare for a possible attack.
See what happened to Antonio Guterres, said former RCMP Commissioner Pierre-Yves Bourduas. The UN Secretary -General’s trip at the end of April was announced a few days before he arrived. While he was in kyiv, Russian forces dropped bombs on the Ukrainian capital. Vladimir Putin’s troops may not have targeted Mr. Guterres themselves, but it is clear that by disclosing his intentions in advance, the secretary-general has become an easier target, according to Mr. Bourduas.
Conversely, if the movement of a foreign dignitary in a war zone is kept secret until the last minute, the greatest danger often becomes random attacks. You’re in the wrong place at the wrong time, but you’re not directly targeted in the beginningexplanation by retired bodyguard Normand Desrochers.
In the case of Justin Trudeau, his presence in Ukraine was made public earlier than expected on Sunday morning, when he was spotted on Irpin by local media relaying information on Twitter.
We know this is a possibilitysays a government source familiar with the matter, but somehow he is already in the country.
2. The fewer people involved, the better
To avoid leaking travel details early, there are usually very few individuals involved.
Judgment is definitely the most important thing in this type of visitsaid Gaston Côté, retired brigadier-general.
Some people in the prime minister’s office didn’t even know of the move until Sunday.
In all, in addition to Justin Trudeau, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland and Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly, four members of the political staff were on the trip, as well as the Canadian ambassador to Ukraine, a government source confirmed. .
This source did not want to specify how many security agents joined the delegation, but Normand Desrochers explained that, often, the idea doesn’t go down too much, certainly stay cautious.
3. A team on the ground before the arrival of Justin Trudeau
Even before Justin Trudeau travels abroad, his office usually sends one or more people there to prepare the ground. In the case of deployment in a dangerous area, this type of upstream work is usually carried out by the RCMP or the Canadian Armed Forces, or members of both organizations, security experts explain.
Before the start, we interacted with Ukrainian teams. In them we identified the activities on the sitesays a government source familiar with the matter.
The fact that Canada has trained Ukrainian soldiers for several years has no doubt enabled it to develop reliable contacts with local troops, said retired bodyguard Normand Desrochers.
As for the decision to meet in person with Volodymyr Zelensky, a man clearly targeted by Moscow, Mr. Desrochers believed that of course there was a risk in doing so, but at the same time, after more than 70 days of fighting, the force was to look at that his close guard was loyal to him and he has been able to protect her to this day.
4. Criticize the presence of Chrystia Freeland
However, the highlight, since Sunday night, has been the presence of Chrystia Freeland with Justin Trudeau.
The commander in chief [premier ministre] should not travel with his vice-commander [la vice-première ministre]let alone a place of war […]wrote Conservative MP Pierre-Paul Hus on Twitter.
Some security experts also expressed reservations. Suddenly the two of us will be number one and two because of a plane crash or the worst situation …, said retired brigadier Gaston Côté. He believes this type of approach is not recommended, from a security point of view.
Behind the scenes, a government source defended this option to send the two top government officials on the same trip. All safety considerations are taken seriouslyhe says.
NDP MP Alexandre Boulerice also supports the federal government, in that belief this is a powerful message to see [Justin Trudeau] and Chrystia Freeland at the same time. It doesn’t worry meHe added.
In Canada, as in the United States, there is no clear rule, or even precedent, of what to do if the Prime Minister fails to perform his duties. However, the company will regularly draw up a succession list. Chrystia Freeland is at the top of this rank, but other members of the Council of Ministers may follow, if she fails to do so.
Source: Radio-Canada
