Canada’s Support for Ukraine: A Rare Non-Partisan Issue in the Country

During the almost decade-long conflict that has developed into Europe’s bloodiest war in the previous 80 years, Canada has been displaying support for Ukraine. The conflict in Russia has rendered silent the pacifists who served in the Canadian Liberal administration, which leans to the left.

The senior cabinet ministers in charge of the government’s military response under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have discussed the differences between what they knew a year ago and what they know now. The war crisis began on February 24, 2022, when Russia launched its full-scale invasion. This prompted Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly, who had been in her role as a foreign affairs minister for only four months at the time, to say that it is time for Ukraine to arm itself rather than talk about making peace.

The Canadian government’s fanatical response to a conflict that is 7,500 kilometers distant can be explained by demographics in a country where support for Ukraine is a rare example of bipartisanship. It is estimated that there are 1.4 million Ukrainian-Canadians living in Canada, which places the country in the position of having the second-largest Ukrainian diaspora community, behind Russia.

The Rationale For Canada’s Backing of Ukraine

The regions of Canada with the largest Ukrainian-Canadian populations, including the Prairies and the vote-rich Greater Toronto Area, provide the primary motivation for the Canadian government to act in a manner that is just toward Ukraine. Incentives are provided for Conservative Opposition MPs, many of whom represent Prairie communities in which Ukrainian immigrants first settled around the turn of the 20th century and after the First World War.

Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister and possibly the most famous Ukrainian-Canadian in the country has described Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as “the largest danger to Canada’s national security since the Second World War.” Because Canada was largely responsible for the creation of many of the norms that are the foundation of the international rules-based order, the threat presented by the conflict constitutes an existential threat to the nation of Canada, according to Freeland,

The Affinity of Foreign Ministers and the Alliance

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly, along with other new foreign ministers, had gotten close on a personal basis to foreign ministers from the United Kingdom, Germany, and Canada. This helped them face a catastrophe that had no end date in sight. The foreign ministers of the G-7 countries desired for the alliance to act in the capacity of a “coordination group” for Ukraine.

At the time, Germany was presiding over the bloc, and throughout Germany’s tenure, members would openly discuss Europe’s dependence on Russia for energy while also exchanging diplomatic and military intelligence. Nonetheless, it was a difficult task to organize allies behind closed doors.

The alliance made the decision to declassify American intelligence at the beginning of the year 2022 in order to “bring everybody along” and “educate our populace with the knowledge we have on hand.” It was credited with helping to build trust and enthusiasm among allies through this approach. After some time, defense discussions surpassed the G-7’s “coordination group,” which led to the establishment of a new forum at the United States Ramstein Air Base in Germany to hold meetings of the Ukrainian Defense Contact Group. Now, 54 nations are members of this organization.

Conclusion

The assistance that Canada offers to Ukraine comes not just from the country’s central government but also from a number of towns that are home to Ukrainian expatriates. The size and influence of Canada’s Ukrainian community are important factors in the government’s decision to provide assistance to the Ukrainian government.

Because of the government’s unwavering commitment to participating in the rules-based system, the conflict poses a significant risk to the existence of the country. It is remarkable how zealously Canada has responded to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, with several parties demonstrating their support and creating coalitions to give assistance to Ukraine.