Canada is working with allies to strengthen our defence

Like many Canadians, when I look at what’s going on around the world today I see both reasons for worry, and reasons for hope. Technology is advancing at a breakneck pace. New and emerging threats in cyber, space, and information domains are being exploited by state actors. Climate change continues to pose an existential threat to operational capabilities. And with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, we have seen a direct attack on our rules-based international order. But in this world of increasing disruption, Canada and its allies are more united than ever before. We are working hand-in-hand with our closest friends to strengthen our defences. Canada, which maintains the sixth-largest defence budget in NATO, has been working on land, in the air, and at sea to ensure the protection of our allies—and we’re doing even more by deploying more troops to the enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group in Latvia, which we have led for more than five years. NATO brings together a diverse coalition of countries to defend the rules-based international order, and we will always remain ready to protect every inch of allied territory. While our women and men in uniform serve in Latvia, Romania, and elsewhere with their NATO counterparts, we are also building bridges between Canada and our NATO allies right here at home. Last weekend, I was delighted to be at the Halifax International Security Forum, where Defence Minister Anita Anand discussed our intent to host NATO’s Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic, or DIANA, here in Canada. DIANA is a groundbreaking initiative that will bring together innovators, tech companies, academics, and researchers from throughout the NATO alliance to explore how technology can solve critical defence and security challenges. DIANA will enable the best and brightest on both sides of the Atlantic to foster and advance innovation so we can meet those challenges—and stay one step ahead of our competitors. DIANA’s work will concentrate on emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum-enabled technologies, biotechnology, and space, ensuring a well-equipped alliance for the future. This cross-industry collaboration will act as a catalyst for industrial policy to drive the development and commercialization of research and innovation. At the same time, Canada will continue to provide comprehensive military aid to Ukraine. Just last week, Prime Minister Trudeau announced that Canada will supply an additional $500-million in military aid for Ukraine, bringing our total commitment to more than $1-billion since February. We have provided M777 howitzers, artillery ammunition, anti-tank weapon systems, specialized drone cameras, armoured combat support vehicles, and more. Canada is also an integral member of the Ukrainian Defense Contact Group—a forum of more than 50 countries led by U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who visited Canada last weekend. At the group’s most recent meeting last week, Minister Anand announced $34-million in military aid for Ukraine—including drone cameras, satellite services, and more winter clothing. With harsh winter months around the corner, we have already signed 11 contracts with Canadian industry for 55,000 pairs of winter combat boots, 15,000 winter parkas, 44,000 pairs of winter gloves, and more. Thanks to the hard work of our Royal Canadian Air Force, we have now delivered more than five million pounds of Ukraine-bound military aid donated by Canada and our allies. But perhaps our most important and internationally recognized contribution to Ukraine’s defence has been our people and training. Since 2015, the Canadian Armed Forces have provided training to more than 34,000 Ukrainian military and security personnel. We are training Ukrainian combat engineers in Poland and new Ukrainian recruits in the United Kingdom—and the prime minister confirmed last week that U.K.-based training will continue into the new year and until at least March 2023. Canada’s support has been recognized by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov, and most importantly, by regular Ukrainian people who want and deserve independence, freedom, and decency. As the world grows darker, and as we are faced with emerging and disruptive threats, Canada chooses the path of freedom and democracy. We choose to protect and defend the rules-based international order. And, with DIANA coming soon to Canada, we will harness the expertise of Canadian industry and reinvigorate our domestic industrial competitiveness. Canada will continue to stand with our NATO allies, our Ukrainian friends, and our partners around the world as we work to bolster the norms and rules that keep our country safe every single day. Bryan May was first elected as the Liberal MP for Cambridge, Ont., in 2015. He is currently parliamentary secretary to the Minister of National Defence. The Hill Times