An ‘either-or’ perception of Canada’s support for Ukraine fails to account for the interconnectedness of the world.
In difficult economic times, it is unsurprising to see a scarcity mindset manifest itself among a portion of the public. A sense that there isn’t enough to go around leads some to become angry when they see public funds spent in a way that, on its face, doesn’t appear to benefit them or their country directly.
While the government must always be a careful steward of our tax dollars, a scarcity mindset often leads to short-term thinking that doesn’t account for the consequences of spending – or not spending – in a certain area.
Canada’s support for Ukraine is one of those areas.
Canadian support for Ukraine remains strong, with a recent Leger poll showing 48% of Canadians say our support for Ukraine is at the right level, while 14% say they want more support, and 17% say they want less. Support clearly outweighs opposition.
Yet, those of us who support Ukraine cannot rest. Russia continues to spread anti-Ukraine propaganda narratives and continues to manipulate people into dividing our nation from within and falsely casting our support for Ukraine as ‘theft’ of Canadian taxpayer dollars, along with a myriad of other conspiratorial narratives. Anti-Ukraine voices remain loud online, and there will always be some politicians who are tempted to make a name for themselves by giving those voices what they want, regardless of how damaging it would be.
That’s why it remains essential to make both the moral and the practical case for continuing to support Ukraine, and to emphasize why supporting Ukraine is an investment that benefits Canada and protects Canadians.
And among the Canadians protected by that support are Canada’s men and women in uniform.
Here are three ways supporting Ukraine helps protect the members of the CAF.
Weakening a nation that wishes Canada ill
Russia views itself as being at war with the Western world, of which Canada is a part.
Russia is converting its economy into a total war economy.
At the present moment, much of Russia’s military production is being ground down in Ukraine, meaning their high rate of production is not leading to an expansion of their military power, but rather a slow erosion.
However, were Russia to conquer Ukraine, the weapons produced by its total war economy would not be degraded, but would instead be stockpiled, increasing Russia’s relative strength. And given that a victorious Russia would likely turn to the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), and to the Arctic, Canadian troops could find themselves in conflict with Russian forces. After all, Canada has a significant presence in Latvia, and our commitments to our NATO allies would almost certainly involve direct Canadian involvement were Russia to invade. Further, our Arctic buildup is just beginning, meaning we need time to catch up.
By supporting Ukraine now, we reduce the odds of a future Russian invasion that would involve Canada directly, and we help Ukraine destroy Russian equipment that would otherwise be stockpiled and potentially used against Canadians. Thus, supporting Ukraine means a lower chance that CAF personnel are involved in a conflict against Russia. Alternatively, if Russia is stopped in Ukraine and then turns its sights on the Arctic or the Baltic states, it will be weaker than it would be had it conquered Ukraine. Either way, our support for Ukraine makes CAF personnel safer.
Gaining a valuable understanding of modern warfare
Canada’s last large-scale combat operation was in Afghanistan. Since then, war has changed significantly, largely due to rapid advances in drone technology. Thus, our experience in Afghanistan will have limited applicability in the future, and many of those who served in Afghanistan are no longer in the CAF.
To best ensure CAF members are as well-defended and well-prepared as possible, we need strong ties with allies who understand modern warfare and can help impart hard-earned lessons. And nobody fits the bill better than Ukraine. Ukraine has become a world leader in drone warfare and has learned, at great cost, how to conduct combat operations against a brutal and powerful foe that is mass-producing military drones. Canada’s support for Ukraine provides us with access to the Ukrainian military and gives us the credibility to work closely with Ukraine on integrating their lessons into our forces.
This is a good example of reciprocity. Canada has trained tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers, and Ukrainian soldiers may soon train Canadians. This is why a zero-sum worldview falls short. Helping others doesn’t mean losing something; in fact, it can mean gaining much more in the future.
Building a sovereign defence industry to ensure our soldiers are as well-equipped as possible
Some may find it odd to talk about ‘defending’ the members of the CAF, given that war is inherently risky. But this is something that separates democracies like Canada from authoritarian states like Russia. We don’t view our soldiers as expendable, rather we seek to avoid losing anyone if at all possible, and we seek to equip our soldiers with the best.
In the event of a future conflict, not only will our men and women in uniform need high-quality equipment, but Canada as a nation will need sovereign defence production capability, lest we find ourselves dependent upon easily disrupted supply chains or coercion from top defence producers. And this defence industry must be geared towards producing equipment based on the most up-to-date developments in war.
Ukraine’s defence industry has advanced rapidly since Russia’s 2022 invasion. As noted by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Ukraine now has over 1,500 military start-up companies:
“By 2024, approximately 500 arms producers were reported to be operational in Ukraine, collectively employing nearly 300 000 people.
In the past three years, Ukraine’s arms production capacity has grown not only in terms of volume but also of the range of military hardware that can be produced. This growth has been largely driven by the development of new technologies, as the scale and nature of the war have created a demand for military innovation. One of the most notable advancements has been in uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), with Ukraine significantly increasing the number of domestically produced UAV models. Technological progress has been further accelerated by government initiatives, such as Brave1, a state-led platform that provides assistance to military technology developers and fosters collaboration between industry stakeholders. In just under two years since its launch, Brave1 has grown to support over 1500 military technology start-ups.”
Similar to learning from Ukraine’s modern war experience, our support for Ukraine enables connections between the Canadian defence industry and the Ukrainian defence industry, meaning we can get a better sense of what to produce, and how to produce it efficiently, ensuring our CAF members are outfitted with advanced, high-equality equipment made here at home.
Three tangible benefits
Canada’s investment in supporting Ukraine thus brings three tangible benefits for our men and women in uniform:
A reduced chance of having to fight Russia in Europe.
Training based on Ukraine’s deep experience in modern warfare.
Rapid development of the Canadian arms industry based on Ukrainian expertise and knowledge, ensuring domestic production of the equipment our troops need most.
Given that the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces deserve the best, it’s clear that our support for Ukraine is an investment well worth making.
Spencer Fernando
Image – YouTube
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