The international order is under attack — and Ukraine might not be the end of it
CBC
History keeps happening. And with each new twist — each new reminder that the world has been knocked off balance since 2016 — Canada's political leaders are forced to decide how this country should navigate a precarious new reality.
"There are moments in history," Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said Monday afternoon as her government announced new measures to respond to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, "when the great struggle between freedom and tyranny comes down to one fight in one place, which is waged for all of humanity."
"The West and, indeed, countries around the world are united in standing up for Ukraine — not just for Ukraine, but for the principles of democracy and the rule of law that [have] led to tremendous prosperity and stability in our world over the past 75 years," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters moments later.
That feeling that this isn't the moment for half-measures might help to explain why the world's democracies have suddenly drawn such a hard line together in Ukraine's defence.
On Parliament Hill, reactions to the crisis have been split between short and long-term viewpoints.
In the short-term, the Conservatives want the Russian ambassador expelled. The New Democrats want specific oligarchs targeted for sanctions. Both parties want visa requirements dropped for anyone wishing to come to Canada from Ukraine.
During question period on Monday, Conservatives also demanded a ban on imports of Russian oil. Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson stood and reported that no crude oil from Russia had been imported into Canada in more than two years. An hour later, the Liberal government implemented a ban on Russian crude anyway.
The long-term viewpoints are fuzzier.
WATCH: MPs debate Canada's approach to Ukraine crisis
The Conservatives want to talk about military procurement and a renewed emphasis on the Arctic. The Liberals are already committed to a significant increase in defence spending, but a renewed debate about Canada's ability to defend itself seems inevitable.
Conservatives also are demanding new efforts to quickly develop and export Canada's oil and gas with an aim of helping Europe reduce its dependence on Russia's fossil fuels.
For some politicians, there is no problem that a pipeline can't solve. But it could be years before Canada has the sort of export capacity such an approach would require.
It also would be short-sighted to focus on production without accounting for any resulting increase in greenhouse gas emissions. Whatever else is going on in the world, climate change is still happening and still threatening to get much worse. In the meantime, Europe could embark on a major push to retrofit its buildings and increase its supply of renewable energy.
WATCH: Canada closes off exports to Russia in response to invasion of Ukraine
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