Those who demonize every effort Canada makes to work with democratic allies to counter authoritarian states, while never having a bad word to say about Russia, are as far from ‘patriotic’ as it gets.
On its own, Russia currently possesses more military strength and defence production capacity than any singular NATO member, aside from the United States.
But combined, the total population, economic might, and thus military potential of Canada+UK+EU nations (most of whom are in NATO), dwarfs Russia.
As a result, Russia wants one thing above all else: Division among and within free nations.
Allies Amplify Power, while Russia wants us to be weak
Consider the Arctic.
NATO allies like the UK, Norway, Denmark, and France all buttress our power in the Arctic region. Patrols conducted by naval ships and submarines, along with bases and radar stations, all help protect Canadian sovereignty in the region, despite the grave extent to which we have underinvested in the region for decades.
As we seek to build up our strength in the North, allies will remain an essential part of enhancing our capabilities. And since those allies are fellow democracies that respect the rule of law, and respect our territorial integrity, as we respect theirs, they strengthen our sovereignty, rather than threatening it.
By contrast, Russia is a threat to Canadian sovereignty and the sovereignty of our allies. As Adam Zivo noted in the National Post, Canada could one day find ourselves confronting Russia close to home, with Russia having taken a more aggressive posture in the North since invading Ukraine:
But then Putin sent tanks towards Kyiv in 2022 and simultaneously began rearming his northern forces . He has since made considerable “defensive” investments into refurbishing major Arctic ports and bases that security experts say could be easily repurposed for offensive attacks.
From Russia’s perspective, they would much rather use this power against a Canada that is isolated than against a Canada that has partners.
If Canada and the EU form a closer defence partnership, then Canada’s Arctic strength will be enhanced by EU allies like France, Germany, Finland, Sweden, and others. That greatly reduces the likelihood of Russia infringing on Canadian territory. Just as our land deployments in Europe signal commitment to the sovereignty of our European partners, so does their presence in the Arctic signal their commitment to our sovereignty.
Allies amplify Canada’s power, while isolation makes us weaker.
Keep this in mind when you see people relentlessly criticize any move by Canada to deepen our ties with the European Union. Many of those same voices also laugh at any attempt by Canada to develop our domestic defence sector and oppose our support for Ukraine. Yet, they never have a bad word to say about Russia.
That is no coincidence.
Whether wittingly or not (some are just Russian bots, of course), there are voices within our country who push a narrative that – if turned into policy – would make Canada easy pickings for Russia or any other expansionist authoritarian state. They are Authoritarian Appeasers.
Even as they do so, they claim to be Canadian patriots when they are the exact opposite. If they got their way, they would leave Canada weak and defenceless, and let Russia and China overrun the world.
I encourage you to watch out for this and help make others aware of these anti-Canada, anti-democracy narratives hiding under the guise of patriotism.
At a critical moment in history, we must stand on guard for Canada, stand with our allies, and stand against those who would undermine our sovereignty and security.
Spencer Fernando
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