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Canadians should sit up and take note of the wheeling and dealing President Donald Trump is carrying out in his controversial and one-sided deal to end the war in Ukraine.
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The spectre of peace talks on Ukraine being conducted between Russia and the U.S. in Saudi Arabia — without the participation of Ukraine, the European Union or NATO — is deeply troubling.
Trump has proposed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy capitulate to Russia. That’s unacceptable. For three years, Ukrainians have held off the invasion more effectively than anyone predicted, thus weakening Russia.
With a straight face, Trump suggested Ukraine should hold an election, saying it’s been under “martial law” for three years. He seemed to blame Zelenskyy for starting the war. Well, when your neighbour invades, it’s difficult to hold an election. Clearly, Trump and Russia are planning to install a Moscow puppet regime in the formerly democratic Ukraine.
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Ukraine sits on some of Europe’s largest mineral deposits of oil and gas. And Trump wants them. That’s where things get messy for Canada.
Our premiers have been shuttling to Washington, desperate to convince Americans they need our resources. We’re their largest supplier of oil and gas. We send them our uranium, nickel, copper and rare-earth minerals.
Trump is demanding billions in “reparations” and is planning to turn democratic Ukraine into a satellite of Moscow so he can plunder its vast resources, despite the fact European countries contributed more than the U.S. to the war effort.
If the U.S. can source its materials in Ukraine, Canada no longer has the bargaining chip we once thought we had. Ukraine’s fate could also be Canada’s.
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The “peace” talks are taking place in that bastion of democracy, Saudi Arabia, the country that controls OPEC. Trump’s envoys could convince the Saudis to increase oil production, which again would hurt this country.
Trump just needs to find another market for Kentucky bourbon and we have no more leverage. Our leaders need to wake up. The U.S. is no longer a reliable trading partner.
We could do that if we had a functioning Parliament. If we had a prime minister. If the Liberal party wasn’t sleepwalking us to statehood in its leisurely leadership campaign.
Forget about booing the Stars and Stripes. Start fighting for Canada.
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