Secretary of Defense Ash Carter met today with Canada's Minister of National Defense Jason Kenney, at the NATO Defense Ministerial in Brussels.
Secretary Carter and Minister Kenney reviewed the ongoing collaboration between the United States and Canada in the operations to combat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Iraq and Syria. Secretary Carter commended Canada for its contributions -- particularly their training efforts in northern Iraq -- and he and Minister Kenney discussed ways the United States and Canada can continue to work together on this issue.
Additionally, Secretary Carter and Minister Kenney discussed Russia's ongoing aggression in Ukraine, and international efforts to provide assistance directly to Ukraine and surrounding countries, both bilaterally and through NATO reassurance initiatives.
Finally, Secretary Carter and Minister Kenney reiterated their support for the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and pledged to continue coordinating closely on our collective defense.