It’s hard to believe we're approaching the one-year anniversary of Russia’s illegal and abhorrent invasion of Ukraine..The war was widely predicted to be a short-lived affair due to Russia’s military might, which then withered in the face of Ukrainian bravery and western weaponry. But as a result the war now rages on, and as the death toll continues to rise, it's fair to ask why Canada continues to dither about what and how much equipment to send Ukraine..This is most likely a question for future historians to deal with, assuming the war doesn’t go nuclear and wipe out humanity. The only certain answer will be Canada, one of the world’s great self-declared democratic nations, watched from the sidelines as Ukraine fought for what all democratic, and law-abiding societies are supposed to stand for..Until the threat of invasion increased, Canada had a small training mission in Ukraine known as OP UNIFIER. But instead of growing our military footprint as intelligence flourished a Russian invasion was imminent, we withdrew them. Now we're apparently reinforcing Latvia as part of Op Reassurance, a mission aimed to promote security and stability in central and eastern Europe..If I was Latvia, I would be less than reassured after seeing the depth of conviction the Canadian government displayed in Ukraine..When push came first to shove, then to shooting, Canada balked. So did the West, and Russia advanced..Essentially the whole affair has been the military equivalent of Pink Shirt Day, a day dedicated to preventing bullying behavior. There are several similarities which include lots of publicity, impressive fundraising and high-profile photo-ops. But it’s mostly for show, lacking any meaningful resolve because just like in the real world when someone is being tormented by a perverse bully and asks for help, few will step up for fear of getting hurt..Politicians, pundits, foreign affairs experts will disagree with me on my last point. I expect their arguments to be that I’m oversimplifying the geopolitical complexities, not appreciative of how effective sanctions can be, and that the risk of dragging the world into a larger conflict is too great. But those same people will tell their children, “If you see bad things being done, don’t be afraid to stand up and try to stop them.” Easy to say, but harder to do, because it comes with a cost..The cost of doing the right thing for Canadians and Newfoundlanders in the Second World War was more than 45,000 dead and more than 55,000 wounded. Were their sacrifices worth it? If yes, why not now? If no, why not now?.I don’t pretend to know the answer, I suspect it depends on whether your family lost someone who went to fight in the war or was saved as result of their sacrifice. The people of Holland and other nations liberated by Canadians in the Second World War certainly seem appreciative. In fact, they do more for Canadian Remembrance Day now than our own countrymen do, and it's from strain of thought I think our reluctance to help Ukraine comes..North America hasn’t known war on its soil for at least a dozen generations. Our cities haven’t been bombed, nor our children subjected to rocket attacks, rationing, or ruined infrastructure. We have a military, but we are unwilling to commit it to a meaningful mission and the nation lacks a clear defence policy. This is mainly because Canadians are sheltered and detached from the harsh realities of war, safely nestled on what was once colloquially known as ‘Fortress North America’..The reality is there is no invasion threat for Canada and it’s very unlikely our American neighbours will try. (That said, the NDP may attempt to convince you American TV host Tucker Carlson’s recent glib comments about it was tantamount to a declaration of war.).Despite it’s underfunding and low staffing levels, we are fortunate to have a highly competent military. Unfortunately, we seldom use it except for the odd occasion to shovel excessive snow, backstop our civilian health-care system or fight forest fires. What’s stopping us from donating all our heavy weaponry to an ally that will put it to good use? Nothing, except maintaining our shabby image as a contributing world security partner, and our military history. In the meantime, we could figure out what it is we want our military to do and how much we’re willing to spend to achieve those tasks..Defence experts would argue such a move would leave Canada incapable of maintaining key strategic defence capabilities. Unfortunately, that argument doesn’t carry much water and using artillery we can illustrate why. Canada has approximately 160 pieces of artillery of different makes, sizes, and age. We are a country of 9.9 million square kilometers, which works out to roughly one artillery piece for every 62,000 square kilometers. Ukraine on the other hand has more than 1,500 artillery pieces for 600,000 square kilometers, approximately one for every 400 square kilometers. Despite the better ratio, it’s still begging for more in order to be effective..The western world, Canada included, is watching history repeat itself. Canada let its readiness dwindle to pre-Second World War levels. Today's calls for peace talks and land concession are akin to 1930’s British policy of appeasement under Prime Minister Chamberlain, as Hitler grabbed Czechoslovakia. It didn’t work then, and it won’t work now..If Canada and the West is content to let Ukraine fight alone, but wants to avoid repeating history, it best be more generous with its equipment donations. Otherwise a future orator might look back and evoke the sentiment of a different former British prime minister, Winston Churchill, saying, “Never in the field of conflict was so much needed by so few that was withheld by so many.”.John Thomson is a retired veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces, children’s author, and aspiring columnist. He lives and writes in Moose Jaw, SK.
