Should Russia’s outreach in Indo-Pacific be a ‘wake-up call’ for Canada?
Global News
Russia is not mentioned once in Canada's Indo-Pacific Strategy despite its significance in the region, which analysts say is an oversight on Ottawa's part.
Russia’s efforts to strengthen relations with allies in the Indo-Pacific should serve as a “wake-up call” to Canada that China is not the only great power threatening security in the region, foreign policy analysts warn.
Russian President Vladimir Putin raised eyebrows last week by travelling to North Korea and Vietnam and signing multiple agreements with both countries, including a mutual defence pact with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Putin floated the possibility of sending weapons to Pyongyang in response to NATO’s support for Ukraine, but also spoke of “deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership with Vietnam” while speaking to reporters in Hanoi on Thursday as his Asian tour wrapped up.
Those comments have set off alarm bells in the United States, which is seeking to strengthen its relationships with Indo-Pacific allies like Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asian countries — including Vietnam — to counter China’s influence.
Those same alarms should also be ringing in Ottawa as it pursues its own strategy, experts say.
“It should be a wake-up call for the Canadian government,” said Balkan Devlan, a senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute.
“We could learn quite a bit from both Japanese and South Korean allies about the connectivity and the threat that Russia actually poses not only in Europe, but also potentially … to our Indo-Pacific friends and allies.”
The U.S., Japan and South Korea jointly condemned the Russia-North Korea pact in a statement Sunday, saying the agreement “should be of grave concern to anyone with an interest in maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, upholding the global non-proliferation regime, and supporting the people of Ukraine” against Russia’s invasion.
Police say an 81-year-old woman is dead following a dog attack involving three dogs who attacked her inside her own residence, in Northern Ontario.
King was a prominent figure in the demonstration that rolled into the national capital in 2022, which saw protesters entrench themselves in downtown Ottawa for three weeks.
Dermo, which has been detected in Canada for the first time, has spread from oyster to oyster in New Brunswick.
The latest draft negotiating text released Friday pledged $250 billion by 2035, less than a quarter of what developing countries requested.
The officials say Ottawa will be chipping in $108.5 million over the next three years to Ontario’s existing Student Nutrition Program and First Nations Student Nutrition Program.
A mother who was struck by a vehicle, along with the father and three other children, has now died from her injuries in hospital just over a month after the collision.
Erin McQueen believes her tools were stolen on Nov.16 while her truck was parked in Kelowna near Ellis Street and Clement Avenue.
"I am fighting for my daughter." How one Regina family is looking to the community to help raise money for a potentially live saving trip to the United States.
Kingston hosts the 59th Vanier Cup, featuring Laval vs. Laurier, promising excitement, economic impact, and family-friendly events. Full details on the big game.
Saskatchewan has been battling an increase in overdoses for many years. But based on recent data, Saskatchewan’s response to drug toxicity may be working.
A council representing Montreal and the suburban municipalities will vote on whether to stop the practice in the six West Island suburbs that treat their water with fluoride.