What more can Canada do to support Ukraine?

The short answer is that there is always more to do. We can always be more effective, and Canada must do more to support the people of Ukraine against the murderous thug, Russian President Vladimir Putin. To that end, I welcomed the government’s Nov. 14 announcement that Canada will be helping Ukraine with an additional $500-million dollars in aid. This is not an insignificant contribution, and will help Ukraine finish the fight against Russia’s illegal invasion. Support has now approximated $4.5-billion in financial, humanitarian, development, military, and diplomatic aid. For the purpose of this article, I will focus on the military aid. The $626-million of military aid to date includes: M-777 artillery guns, with which the Canadian Forces are training Ukrainian soldiers; 155mm ammunition; 39 armoured combat vehicles; drone cameras; Roshel smart-armoured vehicles; de-mining equipment; and satellite imagery. While sophisticated weaponry is welcomed, well-trained soldiers not only need to know how to use it, they also need to know the latest in battlefield tactics. Putin invaded with a much larger force and probably thought that taking Kyiv was merely a matter of marching. Quite quickly, he found out that a huge number of poorly trained, reluctant conscripts are no match for a smaller, well-trained, highly motivated volunteer force. Part of the reason for the effectiveness of the Ukrainian army has been the training they received from the Canadian military since 2017. Some years ago, I was privileged to watch some live-fire exercises outside of Lviv. My impression was that the Ukrainians were tough, brave, and eager to learn. That training provided by Canada and others has paid off in spades. The 35,000 soldiers we trained are in and of themselves force multipliers, as they pass along their skills to new recruits. Knowing how to wage a war, how to get on and off the battlefield, how to care for the wounded, and how to advance so that gains are not squandered are skills and knowledge imparted to Ukrainians by Canadians. Simultaneously, Canadians have learned from the real battlefield experience of their trainees, now their peers. This commitment continues in the United Kingdom, with of 225 soldiers to help train new recruits. In addition, Canada has deployed 150 engineers in Poland. This steady stream of well-trained Ukrainian soldiers is in contrast to Putin’s young conscripts forced to go to the front lines to be fed into a war machine not of their making, that has no interest in their well-being let alone their training. Needless and pointless death awaits many of these young men, and they know it. The other line of effort has been making our Hercules transport planes available for transporting military equipment, supplies, and personnel to Ukraine—moving more than five million pounds to date. While military transport, well-trained soldiers, top-of-the-line equipment, and significant amounts of cash are all very important and the core of our efforts, this war does not end unless we continue with sanctions, humanitarian aid, and round-the-clock diplomacy. Ukrainians will only accept one outcome, and that is the complete removal of Russia from all occupied areas of Ukraine. It’s not obvious that there is any acceptable solution other than the forcible removal of the occupiers. We support the Ukrainians, not only because every nation is entitled to its territorial integrity, but also because it is in Canada’s interest for Ukraine to succeed. Murderous thugs only take lessons from resolute responses. Putin is not the only dictator watching western resolve. Others in China, Iran, and North Korea—to name a few—may have had thought that lands and territories they coveted would be easy pickings. Maybe there will be second thoughts as Putin has ironically revitalized and expanded NATO, and put the United States back into a position of world leadership. The military line of effort cannot be, nor should it be, the only line of effort. It’s therefore important that we listen to friends who critique our efforts, particularly over sanctions. Canada is a prosperous G7 country with an open rule of law-based society. It has been an attractive investment location for Russian oligarchs and others who have supported the suppression of human rights. In the last few weeks, Bill Browder, the father of the Magnitsky sanctions law, has been critical of Canada’s lax enforcement. He said much the same thing when he was in Ottawa last month. Talking a good sanctions game is not enough. We must execute sanctions as precisely as we do when shipping equipment or training soldiers. Otherwise, one line of effort undercuts the other. All lines of effort need to be working effectively toward the same goal. A military response can never be the only response, but without a strong military response no other response is possible. Canada supports Ukraine because if Ukraine succeeds, we all succeed. John McKay is the Liberal Member of Parliament for Scarborough-Guildwood, Ont., and chair of the House National Defence Committee. He previously served as parliamentary secretary to the minister of finance from 2003 to 2006. The Hill Times

What more can Canada do to support Ukraine?

Talking a good sanctions game is not enough. We must execute sanctions as precisely as we do when shipping equipment or training soldiers.

Sudan’s warring sides and the long-simmering ethnic conflict

Balanced approach needed on right-to-repair bill, protecting IP rights and public safety

Reflections from a new citizen

Public Safety Canada’s dealing with natural and communication infrastructure disasters

As COP29 wraps up, will Canada finally stop funding fossils this fall?

Canadian troops vital to Ukraine effort, but aren’t superhuman

Navigating the narratives of the Russian invasion

The tide has changed for the Russian war machine

Like past conflicts, the full extent of war in Ukraine won’t be known for years

Putin’s Stalingrad analogy is lost in translation

News

Get free news updates

Opinion

Submit a guest opinion article

resources

Advertise

subscribe

get help

Get free news updates

Submit a guest opinion article

What more can Canada do to support Ukraine?

Talking a good sanctions game is not enough. We must execute sanctions as precisely as we do when shipping equipment or training soldiers.

Get The Policy Briefings Newsletter