Canada and Ukraine
Shared Values, Shared Threat
A recent poll found that 27% of Canadians now consider the United States an enemy state. Only 30% of Canadians believe the neighbour along our huge, unguarded border can still be trusted as an ally.
An enemy state on our very border.
On this third anniversary of the horrific war in Ukraine, the relationship between Canada and Ukraine is more poignant than ever.
Our shared roots run deep. Canada is home to the largest Ukrainian diaspora in the world. For the longest time, we didn’t think much about it: perogies at lunch, the onion dome church steeples over our northern and western towns. I remember laughing when my wife told me that her high school in western Canada featured polkas at the prom.
But today, the fates of Ukraine and Canada are tied together in a much darker way.
Together with Gaza, we are the two nations that Donald Trump has decided have no right to determine our own futures - that we can be erased from history.
His threat against Canada first came in a hate-filled Christmas Day rant. And then, on January 6th, he declared his determination to destroy our economy and force us to give up our national sovereignty.
The vitriol and menace came out of the blue for Canadians who had long been told by our political leaders not to take the bluster of Trump seriously. In America, cooler heads always prevail.
But then it became clear this wasn’t just banter. Trump was serious. The only thing that gave him pause was the clear message from our Prime Minister that we would inflict maximum economic harm on the United States if they attempted to bring us to our knees.
Donald wants an empire, but he doesn’t have the backbone to force it.
At least not yet.
Unlike his friend Putin, in his brutal attack on Ukraine.
In the lead-up to Putin’s invasion of 2022, few believed that the threats coming out of the Kremlin were actually serious. After all, this was the 21st century. There was still the rule of international law.
Bob Woodward’s excellent book War tells the inside story of the Biden administration trying to wake Europe and Ukraine up to the fact that the threat to destroy Ukraine wasn’t just talk. It was deadly serious.
When the invasion was launched, few thought Ukraine would survive past the first week. Vladimir Putin launched a massive armour thrust at Kyiv, backed up by horrific bombing.
President Zelenskyy, a former TV comedian, was expected to flee the country in the face of the Russian advance. And when the United States embassy offered to get him out of the country, he responded:
“I need ammunition, not a ride.”
Zelenskyy rallied his people. The world saw true heroism as the outgunned Ukrainians stood firm and forced Putin’s army through a relentless meat grinder.
Despite their heroism, the war resulted in an unmitigated humanitarian disaster.
Russia’s war crimes, torture, kidnapping of children, and targeting of civilian infrastructure have brought Europe back to the darkest days of the Second World War.
Ukraine is exhausted. It needs its allies more than ever.
And yet, instead of solidarity, Donald Trump and Elon Musk have turned their treacherous sights to Ukraine.
Last week, while NATO was trying to paper over Trump’s treachery, the President launched a disgusting personal attack on Zelenskyy while mouthing Kremlin talking points.
Trump accused the Ukrainians of causing the destruction of their own cities for standing up to the war criminal Putin.
Is Trump just a gangster kissing the ring of a superior gangster?
Is he a Kremlin stooge?
Is he a traitor to his own nation?
All of the above.
If Ukraine falls, western European democracy falls.
The Europeans are scrambling. They thought they could count on the United States. They now know otherwise.
And Canadians now have a very dangerous, anti-democratic gangster regime on our border. And nobody is coming to save us.
Trump continues to taunt us and belittle our nation in the same way that Putin ridiculed Ukraine prior to the invasion.
Canadians are like Ukrainians in many ways. When pushed to the wall, we have spines of steel. When forced to choose between Vimy or Vichy, I know where ordinary Canadians will be.
But our leaders must stop pretending we can return to normal. The stakes are too high.
I will end with a quote from Serhii Plokhy in his book The Russo-Ukrainian War:
“History is now back with a vengeance, displaying its worst features and opening its most fearsome pages, filled with scenes of violence and destruction… we do not know what the war’s [eventual] end will bring. But it is quite clear that the future of the world in which and our children and our grandchildren will be living in, depends greatly on its outcome.”
Hi Charlie... Please help Canadian realize that the vast majority of Americans are not their enemy and if you were attacked by American soldiers, many here would take your side... We are all frightened and trying to figure out how we stop this mayhem. There are town halls all over the country. People are mobilizing and planning and activating. We understand that time is short and that there must come an end to this horror show. For all of us here in the states, just getting through the burden of way too much horrifying news each day is difficulty. For those of us who know the end result if we can't stop this, we are depressed and overwhelmed. Every day is spent reading, sending letters, making calls, writing responses like this one because we want our friends and neighbors to know where we are coming from. We need our Canadian friends more than ever now. We are scared..... Please don't forget your US cousins like me; find a way to include us in your plans.
Thank you, as always.
Canadian unity and strength is incredible. Our Ukrainian sisters and brothers are an inspiration.
As a Canadian with family in Ukraine, I often hear the terrible details of life there during these dark times. I can only hope we manage to work our way through the next few years with all the strength and resilience they’ve shown. ❤️🇨🇦