PeaceQuest readers are divided on Canada’s response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but most people feel Canada is on the wrong track.
Two weeks ago we asked readers, “Overall, do you think Canada's response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine is on the right track, or the wrong track?”
Typically our PeacePolls garner over 100 responses, but this time roughly half as many people participated, suggesting that a lot of readers may be still thinking about their response. Of the 64 who voted, more than 60% said was Canada was on the wrong track.
We invited people to leave a comment about their response, and we have compiled them below for you.
Readers’ comments:
Right track
Right track - I would love to see this war end but negotiating with Putin seems pretty impossible. He only understands force. It is such a senseless war with massive destruction and huge environmental damage. When will we ever learn??
Somewhat right track
Somewhat right track - Canada needs to do more to help the Ukraine stop Putin.
Somewhat right track - Russia cannot be allowed to seize territory at will. There’s a need for more visible attempts at a peaceful resolution
Somewhat right track - Now is the time for more of every type of aid to Ukraine. Putin is in a weakened position domestically and strategically and must be stopped. The terrorism of the current regime must be called out loudly and clearly.
Unsure
Unsure - The natural human response is eye for eye, and I fear that if the evil that is presently the Russian leader decides to go nuclear, the response by NATO may be similar—even if it is somewhat restrained. But to respond to the use of nuclear weapons with more nuclear weapons is like killing people who kill people to show people that killing people is wrong. I think Canada's response should be an overwhelming flood of support in the form of aid: supplies of food, medicine, infrastructure, and NOT more weapons. This world forgets that kindness can be a forceful weapon, even against diabolical enemies.
Somewhat wrong track
Somewhat wrong track - While Russia's invasion of Ukraine is odious, the rattling of the US swords in January 2022, the NATO exercises conducted on Russia's borders, and the indiscriminate spread of NATO forces to include countries on Russia's borders were seen as threats to Russia itself. The isolation of Putin himself by the West did nothing to ameliorate the situation. As Churchill said, "Jaw, Jaw is better than War, War. His invasion of Ukraine was a failure of international diplomacy - and I place enormous responsibility for that upon the USA.
Somewhat wrong track - Odd that her go-to allegiance was the G7 and not NATO. One wonders why. Clearly Canada has no independent position but would any state be solo on this?
Somewhat wrong track - We need to have more trained diplomats.
Somewhat wrong track - I’d like to see Canada trying harder to press for a ceasefire, start negotiations, and use all diplomatic means to end the war. It seems NATO is not making much of an effort in that direction.
Somewhat wrong track - There must be peace negotiations not all this rhetoric
Somewhat wrong track - We need to move to negotiations.
Wrong track
Wrong track - When you have a bad record of interfering in other countries situations to begin with it is better to stop while you are ahead. Canada is not making the situation in Ukraine better for anyone .. it is just contributing to additional problems..
Wrong track - To me, it is morally indefensible to exploit the suffering of the Ukrainian people to justify reinforcing the threats to the safety and peace that the NATO countries seem willing to take. Appalled by Putin's imperial ambitions for Russia though I am, there not only should be but must be alternatives.
Wrong track - Regrettably, Canada has aligned itself with the American Empire in such a way that we have lost any legitimacy as an honest broker on virtually any global issue. Canada's self-serving politicians now support the war racket all in, no holds barred and we will all pay dearly for this. Not one federal party can be said to be a peace party as they all support the purchase of F35s, arming Ukraine and further continuing a murderous conflict in Europe, they have also committed to joining the US in antagonizing and provoking China sailing warships through the Taiwan Strait and witness Judy Sgro doing a Nancy Pelosi. Canadians better be careful what we wish for as our leaders guide us down this perilous path with little wisdom, knowledge of history, or genuine caution. One must ask where are the voices of sanity in Canadian politics? The answer no where to be found!
Wrong track - Russia did not threaten Nuclear Weapons use, they only stated that they would use any means to defend itself. That is not a threat. If we (Canada) and the US/UK were not intentionally stirring the pot (supplying arms) and had the US not conducted a violent 5 Billion dollar Coup in Ukraine in 2014 (Victoria Nuland's cookies) or had France and Germany put ""any"" effort into enforcing the Minsk accords over the past eight years, agreed to by Ukraine, instead allowing the Ukraine Gov. to ruthlessly attack and kill it's own people in the DPR and LPR (14000 dead), all in a stand to support the US Gov. efforts to 'break-up' and eventually control Russia, none of this would be happening. ""We"" are the warmongering aggressors here. There is no democracy in Ukraine to defend, only US/NATO backed and financed Nazis. Remember it was the US who used nuclear weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, ""after"" Japan had effectively surrendered. It is the US who has some 800 military installments around the world, and it is the US who is illegally stationed in Syria and who is stealing their oil on a massive scale, and it is the US who has been at war for 226 years of their country's 246 years of existence, killing tens of millions of innocent people. As long as Canada is a part of the US's war machine (NATO), then ""we"" are the aggressors!
Wrong track - Neither Western media nor Western politicians address the context for Russian-speakers in Ukraine since 2014. Persecuted by the new Kiev government for their language, shelled for 8 years by Kiev military (14,000 dead), more recently banned from using their language, the republics that declared independence in 2014 have now achieved the protection of Russia. Why wouldn't they want to re-join Russia? Canada, NATO and the G7 have miscalculated in rejecting Russia's offer for security guarantees (Dec 21) and provoking this response. Having followed Ukraine closely for 9 years I find the Canadian response short-sighted and unacceptable. Interestingly, the Global South sees through the Western game plan and is rejecting sanctions against Russia.
Wrong track - Canada was involved for over a century in efforts to destroy Russia, via European and American imperial projects. Canada, along with over 50 other countries, sent troops (I believe Canadians were largely RCMP officers) to aid so-called "White Russian" counter-Soviet militias and other groups. When NATO came along (1949) Canada joined in. NATO baldly and repeatedly states its purpose to undermine and contest Russia. So - "QUEL CHOC!" when Russia decides to defend itself in the face of fight-to-the-death attacks on its borders, allies, so-called spheres of influence and so on. If Canada wants peace there, diplomacy and negotiations should be Canada's recommendation, with applicable roles, rather than sending money and arms to inflame the conflict.
Wrong track - War will only lead to disaster and do harm to too many people. Peace is the only reasonable course to purse. Put the total spectrum dominance philosophy to bed.
Wrong track - Canada needs to work for peace in Ukraine by pushing for a negotiated settlement to the conflict.
Wrong track - the ministers response will be whatever the US dictates. As the war is ratcheted up Canada could stay the hell out if it had any say in the matter. Maybe we could reinforce the stealing of Syrian oil over there instead, at least Assad does not have nukes. On the other hand more likely to be sent to the China Taiwan front instead.One war is never enough for the USMIC.
Wrong track - Nuclear attack threats must be condemned.
Wrong track - With the escalations this week, we are now in the Third World War. We are closer to nuclear war than ever before in history.
Wrong track - We should be supporting civilian non- co-operation with the Russian invasion, rather than sending weapons. Using war to respond to Putin's invasion is too dangerous for life on Earth. Putin is human and he will die. I also think that NATO should back off of its threats to Russia. NATO has failed to bring peace using war in every one of its endeavours; think of the former Yugoslavia, Libya and Afghanistan.
Wrong track - Although the Russian invasion was wrong, we are ignoring the events that led up to it, particularly the brutalization by Ukraine of its Russian minority in the Donbass, and the provocation by NATO. As Canadians we would not tolerate treating our French minority the way Ukraine was behaving (killing 14,000 separatists in the Donbass), so we should be making this clear in our ""support"" for Ukraine.
Wrong track - We grew up with CBC National news telling us Canada was a "diplomacy first" nation, that we were all about dialog, reaching out, peace keeping, that we were against nuclear weapons etc. Today there is NO talk at all along these lines. The stance is now pure war mongering, buying drones, fighter jets and eventually nuclear war heads! It seems our Feds are in lock-step with the United States foreign policy. There does not seem be be any “made in Canada” solutions anymore.
Wrong track - A great game of chess is on display at the world stage. The white represents the west while Russia has to contend with the black. So it's a game between black and white. White has lost a few of it's pawns such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Yemen. The black has so far played cautiously after a miscalculation in Syria. But the white has cornered the black into taking action in Ukrainian territory, a strategic white pawn. The black further blundered into holding a "referendum" in the eastern provinces of Ukrain in order to annex them into the Russian federation. A blast has taken place in the nord stream gas pipeline but the jury is still out as to whose move is it. Luckily there is no checkmate as yet beacause if that happens it will be the END of the HUMAN CIVILIZATION.
Wrong track - Canada should not be supplying military hardware or training to Ukraine OR any other. Nation. Canada takes the wrong path always by following the dictates of the U.S. I understand the U.S. was Iinstrumental in sabotaging talks between Russia and Ukraine early this year that could have ended the war. THIS war is a windfall for the US weapons manufacturers. THIS war is about much more than invading a country. Question the US motives for militarily surrounding Russia and China.
Wrong track - Canada has used the military action by Russia to justify further action by Canada in support of the Kiev regime and its attacks against its own dissident areas. Canada should stop contributing to the war in Ukraine and support negotiations with the idea that the security concerns of all parties must be taken seriously.
Wrong track - Canada is a member of NATO, an aggressive military organization under the control of the US which has been pressing for conflict with Russia since the end of the Cold War. Canada should leave NATO, construct an independent foreign policy, and urge a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine issue.
Wrong track - I am concerned with the absolute refusal of the Canadian media to acknowledge the circumstances that existed for Russian speaking citizens in Ukraine prior to the invasion.
Wrong track - The government seems to be subscribing to the fantasy that Ukraine can 'win' the war militarily in a manner that will weaken Russia profoundly - a stated US objective - yet not lead the Kremin to 'escalate to deescalate' with either nuclear weapons or conventional strikes on NATO supply lines. All the ingredients for are in place for disaster to strike, and none for diplomacy to succeed.
Wrong track - We should be trying to end the war. Not sending more weapons. This is foolish and dangerous.
Wrong track - Canada has it completely backwards. Ukraine is one of the most corrupt countries in Europe. There was a US-sponsored coup in 2014 and the government has been infiltrated by ethnic nationalists, many of whom openly revere Nazis, in a now familiar pattern of regime change and regional destabilization. It was well documented by international and Canadian media before the invasion started that the Ukrainian soldiers Canada was training were affiliated with these nationalists. Chrystia Freeland proudly displayed their banner and talked about her grandfather, who was a Banderite. Imagine if Canada banned french and started bombing Québec merely for being french - thats what happened in Ukraine: there have been multiple atrocities against Russian-speakers in Ukraine since 2014. Canada should have supported the Minsk Accords, the cultural part of which are like its own agreement with Québec. Ukraine refused to abide by them. The Crimea, Donetsk and Lugansk regions were fully justified in voting to separate, and now have done so. Canada's reckless support of US/NATO aims for regime change in Russia has taken us to the brink of nuclear war. Canada should pull out of NATO, which is obsolete, and become neutral. It is not too late.
Wrong track - Canada MUST become Global Peace Keepers again. This conflict MUST be resolved through genuine Diplomacy, NOT thru provision of finances, weapons & troops - that is Profit-driven support of military-industrialist corporations becoming even MORE rich & powerful off the lives (& deaths) of both sides. Western mainstream's narrative 'Russia-Bad' is self-defeating, and holds no room for national self-determination and co-operation, especially considering NATO's relentless expansion despite all historical western agreements to the contrary with both Gorbachev and Russia. This hypocrisy MUST be acknowledged, ENDED and called out for the utterly shameful, disingenuous action it truly represents. The USA must STOP its global war-mongering & profit-driven conflict creation. Human lives are NEVER ""Acceptable Losses""
Wrong track - Although I shouldn't be surprised by Canada's positions vis-a-vis foreign policy, I am still filled with shame!
Wrong track - Most Canadians are unaware of the historical context behind this war. IN 2014, the democratically elected leader of Ukraine was ousted in a US-NATO regime change. The goal was to install a new leader less supportive of Russia. In the eastern part of Ukraine, the Donbas, most of the population are Russian speaking and still love Russia. (which Russian President Krushchev ""gave"" to Ukraine in 1954) The new Ukrainian government sent its military to bomb the Donbas area - which was essentially Ukrainians bombing and killing Ukrainians. Most of the world does not realize this. So much infrastructure was destroyed, and tens of thousand of people killed. The people in the Donbas asked Russia to help. This is when Russia invaded in Feb. 2022, after 8 years of Ukraine bombing its own citizens. But deep hatred of Russia goes back decades. Russian leader Stalin, a Communist, wanted to collectivize Ukrainian farmers. When they refused, he initiated a genocide of Ukrainians. There was a famine in Ukraine in 1932-33 also. This hatred of Russians is so deep that to this day, there are people in western Ukraine shouting Death to Russians. This episode is also connected to the fact that in World War II, Russian soldiers played a very important role in defeating Nazis, which Ukraine had supported. Today, there is a well-known Ukrainian military regiment that are neo-Nazis - the Azov Battalion. There is plenty online about these soldiers who wear Nazi symbolism on their uniforms. Furthermore, in Ukraine every Jan. 1st, there is a torchlight parade to honor Stepan Bandera, a Nazi collaborator in WWII. So to say that Ukraine is a completely innocent country in this conflict is to ignore the profound historical context. And last but not least, NATO installed military bases along the western border of Russia, which Russia rightly perceived as a military threat and direct provocation. Each one of these aspects of the conflict contributes to conflict.
Wrong track - There is much too much ""Russia BAD"" rhetoric flying around, and not nearly enough factual historical information to balance the discussion. As long as hegemonic U S policy - foreign and domestic - runs the show, people will NEVER understand the truth! And don't get me started about U S meddling...!! So Canadian policy is simply a regurgitation of U S directives, and as such is criminally wrong and mis-directed!
Wrong track - There was no Russian threat to use nuclear weapons. The phrasing above reinforces the lie suggesting that such a threat was made. The existence of such weapons is in itself a threat, but Russia's protocol on their use, makes their mere existence slightly less threatening than the US protocol. Nothing Russia or Putin has said implies abandonment of their protocol which denies first use barring an existential threat.
Wrong track - Disgusting war-mongering -- by all parties.
Wrong track - After Canada and the U.S.A. created the coup of the elected president of Ukraine in 2014, (of which there is little to dispute) then backed the training of the Azimov regimen (which were the eager recipients of $ from the Endowment For Democracy) which killed approx. 14,000 Ukrainins in a civil war, Nato then continued to antagonize Russia with their expansionary tactics by acknowledging Ukraine might one day be a member of Nato. Putin had his terms public before the invasion, but were rebuffed by the USA. Where are any peace talks now? Russia - Out of Ukraine ... NATO - Out of Existence.
Wrong track - Canada has been directly involved in the Maidan Coup & the events that followed. We are responsible for the war in Ukraine NOT Russia. Nato should be dissolved and a new international security structure, that includes China & Russia put in its place.
Thanks to everyone who participated.
(Cover: Halifax, Canada. February 26, 2022. End War in Ukraine protest with signs and Ukrainian flags. Support Ukraine sign asking for Canadian and Nato help against invasion. Via Shutterstock)