Canada's prime minister says Canadian soldiers will take part in military exercises next week in Poland as part of NATO's response to the Ukraine crisis. Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Friday that "Putin regime's persistent military aggression and its ongoing illegal occupation of Crimea and other parts of Ukraine threaten the stability and security of central and eastern Europe." The NATO exercises will run in Swidwin, Poland, from May 5 to 9 and will include about 50 soldiers. AP cited Harper's office as saying that they will conduct training in parachuting, airborne operations and infantry skills alongside Polish and American counterparts in a U.S.-led exercise. Six Canadian fighter jets left their base in Canada this week and headed for an air base in Romania, and eventual patrols along that country's border with Ukraine. -- SPA 21:09 LOCAL TIME 18:09 GMT تغريد