Trusting the U.S. to keep its word is a risk U.S. allies cannot afford to take.
The U.S. is increasingly governed by the ever-changing whims of one man and internal factional battles that are often resolved in favour of isolationist factions aligned more with Russia than with America’s allies.
Thus, while the majority of Americans deeply oppose Russia and still support America’s traditional partners on the world stage, those preferences are not being expressed in policy.
Case in point, the U.S. is cutting off some congressionally approved military aid to Ukraine:
“Kyiv has warned that an interruption of US weapons shipments might encourage Russia to continue the war in Ukraine, now in its fourth year.
On Tuesday the White House said that it had cut off some weapons deliveries to Ukraine.
The decision was taken “to put America’s interests first” following a Department of Defense review of US “military support and assistance to other countries”, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry said in a statement that “any delay or procrastination in supporting Ukraine’s defense capabilities would only encourage the aggressor to continue war and terror, rather than seek peace.”
The move was denounced by supporters of Ukraine in the U.S. Congress:
“U.S.-made air defense systems, including the Patriot platform, are the centerpiece of Ukraine’s defenses … They work. They save lives every day,” said Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus co-chair. “If this reporting is true, then Mr. Colby …is taking action that will surely result in the imminent death of many Ukrainian military and civilians.”
The move comes as Russia ramps up air attacks against Ukraine, and about two weeks after Trump said he would make a decision about Russia in ‘two weeks’ as Vladimir Putin continues to ignore U.S. peace proposals – proposals Ukraine has repeatedly accepted.
U.S. unreliability
The surrender of much of the U.S. Republican Party to Donald Trump’s whims means that U.S. policy cannot be trusted as it once was. Much depends on Trump’s move and which internal faction wins his favour. Thus, promises from the U.S. are far less reliable. So, while America remains an important partner for Canada in many respects, we cannot depend upon them, nor should we assume that what is said today or agreed upon today will be upheld tomorrow.
This is not some blanket condemnation of the U.S. I retain confidence that in the long-term, the U.S. will return to a more principled foreign policy, as exemplified by individuals like Mike Pompeo:
But Mike Pompeo isn’t in charge right now, and American foreign policy is not principled at the present moment. Canada must deal with this reality, not the reality we hope to see in the future.
With that in mind, Canada must rapidly accelerate our domestically focused rearmament. We cannot assume that weapons purchased from the U.S. will be delivered, nor can we assume U.S. protection. We must be able to protect ourselves, particularly in the Arctic, where Russia – and increasingly China – could pose a threat.
This necessitates building up Canada’s domestic defence industry and building capabilities that can be rapidly scaled up. The government should set aside rearmament funds for small arms production, 155mm artillery production, armoured vehicle production (ordering a bunch of Roshel armoured vehicles, for example), and invest in Canadian drone manufacturers to jump-start the military drone industry.
Weakness, naivety, and hoping for the best in regards to the United States are no longer options for Canada. We must cultivate our own strength and potential if we are to survive and thrive in a dangerous world.
Spencer Fernando
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