The Canadian military forces are "ready" to fulfill their commitments if the Russian war in Ukraine extends to NATO countries, but it will be a "challenge" to launch a large-scale operation in the long term, with continued shortages of personnel and equipment, according to the head of the Defense Staff, General Wayne Eyre.

Eyre also told Joyce Napier during the question period on CTV in an interview aired on Sunday that while the forces in Europe are "ready for the tactical mission they have been assigned," he has greater concerns about strategic readiness. He said there is a shortage of personnel and equipment, and more concern about the ability to sustain a larger mission in the long term.

Furthermore, the Canadian Armed Forces still struggle to retain staff, with the number of trained personnel about 10,000 less than what they might need to be at full strength, and equipment stocks less than required.

Eyre also added that the Canadian Army would be under "extreme pressure" to launch another large-scale operation like the one conducted in Afghanistan, for example, without having to redeploy its resources around the world, as threats evolve.

Referring to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Eyre said that climate change will affect the landscape in the Arctic, with an increase in digital and cybersecurity threats, adding: "It is always a matter of prioritizing and balancing our deployments around the world, not only with what, but when and with whom... and getting this balance right is something we are working to achieve."

He also said: "We prioritize and balance based on what our allies need, and what demand signals indicate, just to make sure we achieve the strategic impact the government wants us to achieve."

Meanwhile, Defense Minister Anita Anand said during CTV's question period last week that Canada must "be able to balance NATO commitments, securing the Arctic, and enhancing peace in the Indian and Pacific Oceans."

Also, Eyre said his first priority is to bring the Canadian Armed Forces to full strength, with an attrition rate of 9.3 percent among both Regular Forces and Reserves, up from 6.9 percent last year. He explained that the organization is working to streamline the recruitment process, among other changes, to meet the growing need, aiming to increase numbers "as quickly as possible."