“Conservatives support Ukraine in its fight to protect its territorial integrity from the illegal invasion by Russia and Vladimir Putin. Since 2018, Conservatives have been calling on the Trudeau government to send more lethal military aid to Ukraine,” said Michael Chong and James Bezan in a statement.
While Russia’s effort to turn a segment of the American right into ‘useful idiots’ has been disturbingly successful and has led to the blocking of desperately needed military aid to Ukraine, the same is not true here in Canada.
By contrast, the Conservatives are in fact calling for the Canadian government to send more military aid to Ukraine, and to finally fulfill the promises made in past funding announcements.
In a joint statement, Conservative Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs Michael Chong and Conservative Shadow Minister for National Defence James Bezan made it clear that the Conservative Party supports Ukraine in their fight against Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s illegal invasion, and called for more lethal military aid to be sent.
You can read their full statement below:
The Hon. Michael Chong, Conservative Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs, and James Bezan, Conservative Shadow Minister for National Defence, issued the following statement in response to recent government announcements regarding Ukraine:
“Conservatives support Ukraine in its fight to protect its territorial integrity from the illegal invasion by Russia and Vladimir Putin. Since 2018, Conservatives have been calling on the Trudeau government to send more lethal military equipment to Ukraine.
“For over two years, Ukraine has been asking Canada and our allies for more military assistance, including artillery shells and rockets. Conservatives have been calling on the government to increase the production of key munitions, such as 155 mm artillery shells, and to replace all of the weapons donated to Ukraine so that the Canadian Armed Forces can protect Canadians and be a dependable partner for our allies. The Trudeau government has failed to sign contracts to increase artillery shell production.
“In fact, when answering questions last fall, government officials confirmed that the Trudeau government had not increased production in Canada by a single shell. This is despite the head of the Canadian Armed Forces confirming that we only have a three-day supply of shells available for our defence and despite the continuing need for shells by our Ukrainian allies.
“Earlier this month, and following Ukrainian requests, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre called on the government to donate 83,000 Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) CRV7 rockets to Ukraine. These rockets were requested by the Armed Forces of Ukraine in November 2023 and are slated for disposal by the CAF. The Trudeau government has failed to even commit to delivering these rockets that Ukraine desperately needs.
“The Trudeau government promised Ukraine a NASAMS over a year ago, but as usual Trudeau has failed to deliver on his promise or say where the $406 million approved for its purchase went. In fact, 50% of the military aid promised by the Trudeau government has not been delivered, according to reporting from Le Devoir.
“This is the story of the Trudeau government’s failures on Ukraine from the very beginning. The Liberals are quick to announce, slow to act, and fail to deliver. Conservatives will deliver the munitions and weapons Ukrainians need to defend their sovereignty from Russian aggression.”
The Liberals are quick to announce, slow to act, and fail to deliver for Ukraine.
In fact, 50% of the military aid promised by the Trudeau government has not been delivered.
Full Conservative statement from @MichaelChongMP and I here: pic.twitter.com/w02DWdiRG7— James Bezan (@jamesbezan) February 21, 2024
Defending Canadian & Western Values
Both James Bezan and Michael Chong have been stalwart defenders of Canadian values and the values of Western civilization, at a time when those values are under attack both from within our country, and from hostile foreign regimes.
They clearly recognize that standing with Ukraine against Putin’s invasion is both the right thing to do, and is in Canada’s national interests.
Sending military aid to Ukraine creates jobs here in Canada, boosts our manufacturing capacity, helps ramp up military production that can also benefit our own armed forces, and helps to contain Russia. It is also the pro-peace position, because if Russia is stopped in Ukraine then the threat of a NATO vs Russia war recedes, but if Russia conquers Ukraine they are far more likely to attack a NATO country, meaning Canadians would be sent to fight in Europe.
If you don’t want Canadians to be sent to fight in Europe, then supporting aid to Ukraine is the logical choice.
It is also great to see the Conservatives pushing for more artillery shell production, and for the replacement of what our country has given to Ukraine. Canada has the capability to both supply our own military with what it needs and to increase support to Ukraine, and it’s time that we recognized that. It’s not a choice between the two, rather it’s a choice of whether we will step up and take national defence seriously, or whether we will bury our heads in the sand and keep naively hoping the bad guys just go away.
Unity, or wedge?
Justin Trudeau has done everything he can to turn support for Ukraine into a wedge issue in Canada. Much of the media has obliged, because they wish they were fighting against Donald Trump in the United States, as that would boost their ratings and make them feel part of something bigger. And so, they have decided to live in a false reality where the Conservative Party of Canada is the same as the Republican Party in the United States.
But that simply isn’t the case.
While the Republicans are divided on Ukraine (many want to aid the country but are stymied by the pro-Putin faction), there is no such division in the Conservative Party in this country. In fact, the Conservatives have from the beginning pushed for the Liberal government to send more military aid, a fact that proves inconvenient for Trudeau’s attempts to turn the issue into a wedge.
Notably, the statement on increasing support to Ukraine was posted directly on the Conservative Party website, making it clear that this represents their position on supporting Ukraine – no matter how much Trudeau may wish it were otherwise.
Given what is at stake, given that the world’s democracies face a dangerous New Axis of Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea, we can ill afford to be divided. Justin Trudeau should cut back the political games and recognize that supporting Ukraine is one of the few things most Canadians can agree on. He should be working with the Conservatives to support Ukraine, rather than working against Canadian interests by seeking to create divisions where none exist.
Spencer Fernando
Photo – YouTube
