Predictably, U.S. President Donald Trump has failed to broker peace between Ukraine and Russia.
Despite Ukraine repeatedly agreeing to Trump’s calls for a ceasefire, the U.S. President has been unwilling to acknowledge Russia’s refusal to do the same.
Following his recent call with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, Trump received zero concessions from Russia, and appears to have been fooled by, or become complicit in, going along with Russia’s vague calls for future ceasefire negotiations, and ignoring the fact that negotiations were already underway in Turkey – negotiations Trump originally pushed for.
Remember, Ukraine accepted Trump’s call for negotiations, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreeing to meet the Russian dictator in person. Putin refused, sent lower-level officials, and then, as noted in his call with Trump, gave no indication that a ceasefire is near.
Logically, Trump has no choice but to acknowledge that Russia is standing in the way of peace, and – as he once discussed – start arming Ukraine and sanctioning Russia.
Instead, he’s giving up and walking away:
“Not my problem” — that’s Trump’s new stance on the war in Ukraine, per NYT, following his call with Putin.
He told Zelensky & EU leaders that Russia and Ukraine must find a solution on their own. Trump also backed out of supporting new tough sanctions on Russia according to six officials who were familiar with the discussion.”
Further, Trump is opposing a G7 statement expressing support for Ukraine:
“The U.S. objected to the inclusion of clauses on “further support” for Ukraine in a joint statement during the meeting of the Group of Seven (G7) finance ministers in Canada, Politico reported on May 21, citing two undisclosed officials.
Canada, chairing the G7 group this year, is hosting a meeting of G7 finance ministers this week. The summit is a precursor to the main meeting of the G7 heads of state, which will take place on June 15-17.
Washington also refused to label Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine as “illegal” in the text, according to sources who spoke to Politico.”
We must be honest about the implications here. Despite a majority of Americans having a negative view of Russia, that view is not reflected in American leadership. The U.S. is led by someone who views the world through an amoral and transactional lens and seems to genuinely identify with Russia and Vladimir Putin. Those around Trump, including those in the Republican Party who recognize how unfortunate this situation is, have failed to assert themselves and have instead largely remained quiet.
Of course, this is even more absurd given Trump’s self-proclaimed status as a ‘great negotiator.’ After promising to negotiate an end to Russia’s war against Ukraine within 24 hours, Trump instead made unilateral concessions to Russia, including no NATO membership for Ukraine, a halt in new aid, no demand for Russia to leave Ukrainian territory. Trump also put all the pressure on Ukraine rather than Russia, and then repeatedly gave Russia a free pass even when they failed to agree to ceasefire proposals. In short, the ‘great negotiator’ failed to negotiate anything and has simply given up.
Canada and our allies must step up
While the future is uncertain, America’s current tilt toward Russia is likely a historical aberration. It rests upon many unrepeatable factors, including Donald Trump’s personal views on Russia, his psychological hold over the Republican Party, a high-point (or low-point) in social media manipulation by hostile powers like Russia, and the military weakness of Canada and Europe, weakness that is slowly being addressed and will thus reduce America’s direct leverage in the medium to long-term.
However, historical aberrations only seem ‘short’ retrospectively. We are in one right now, and we must act accordingly.
Regardless of what America does, Ukraine cannot be allowed to fall. Russia would not stop in Ukraine, and NATO members such as Poland, Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia could be next. Further, a more aggressive and emboldened Russia would possess a larger military-industrial base, more manpower, and would be more of a threat to Canada in the North as a result.
Stopping Russia now, forcing Russia to abandon its efforts to conquer Ukraine and ensuring Ukraine’s survival, must be at the top of Canada’s foreign policy priorities, alongside deepening military ties to our allies.
Collectively, Canada and our allies – even excluding the United States – form a military and economic bloc of immense potential power. Despite a GDP of under USD 200 billion, Ukraine has managed to hold off Russia. And while Ukraine has benefited from external assistance, the country has also built a large and ever-expanding domestic defence industry, and has become a world leader in drone production.
With a GDP of over USD 2 trillion, there is no reason Canada can’t be a much larger military power. With this in mind, we should view our desperately needed military buildup and our support for Ukraine as one and the same. As noted in a previous column, aiding Ukraine is both morally correct and beneficial to Canada, given Ukraine’s willingness to share technology with partner nations.
Canada should provide Ukraine with further military aid by contributing to European artillery purchases, financing the procurement of air defence systems, and providing aid to Ukrainian drone manufacturers, while also building partnerships between those companies and Canadian firms to set up factories here in Canada operating based on best practices learned by Ukraine.
Building credibility
An effective Canadian military expansion will require coordination with allies such as the U.K., France, Germany, and more. If we wish to form the CANZUK alliance, we will need to be seen as credible on defence matters, rather than a laggard. Our European allies are determined to continue supporting Ukraine.
Thus, enhanced support for Ukraine is essential to strengthening the bonds that secure our sovereignty. As for the question of affordability, the cost of Ukraine falling to Russia would far outweigh the cost of helping Ukraine now. Were Canada drawn into a war to defend a NATO country (a scenario that Ukraine’s defeat would make more likely), we would have to undertake a desperate and ramshackle military buildup without prior planning, and the damage to the global economy would be immense. Helping Ukraine now is the fiscally responsible option.
There is also the issue of values. A clear majority of Canadians reject the pro-Russia drift of the U.S., and we are increasingly defining ourselves in opposition to the ruthlessly transactional and amoral Trump Administration. Increasing our support for Ukraine as the U.S. steps back is a way to show who we are as a nation and what we stand for in the world.
As I noted in a recent article about NordSpace, now is the time for Canada to step up and think big. We have the people, resources, wealth, and technology to be a world power, and it’s time for us to live up to our full potential. Building up our military strength and putting our full weight behind Ukraine is a key step on that path.
Spencer Fernando
Image – YouTube
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