|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
We either help Ukraine now, or face a possible Russian threat ourselves in the future
The Russians are keen on dominating the Arctic, where Canada’s sovereignty is tenuous at best
While some voices argue that it is not in Canada’s self-interest to militarily support Ukraine in its fight against Russia, a Kyiv victory could prove invaluable to our national security. The Russians are keen on dominating the Arctic, where Canada is weak, so their defeat in Eastern Europe would buy us valuable time to strengthen our northern defences.
Until recently, Canada’s territorial integrity seemed utterly secure. Bounded by vast oceans to the west and east, and a friendly superpower to the south, we have historically faced few, if any, serious threats to our national defence.
But global warming has changed everything. With the world’s polar ice steadily melting, the Arctic Ocean is emerging as a vital economic, political and military arena — and this will almost certainly lead to novel conflicts that Canada is currently unprepared to address.
The most obvious issue at play is the opening of the Northwest Passage, a shipping route that snakes through the Canadian Arctic. Some policy-makers anticipate that, due to melting sea ice, large-scale commercial shipping across the passage may become viable by mid-century, allowing it to function as a seasonal alternative to the Panama Canal.
Watch:
