Canada can do more to help Ukraine besides sending weapons: experts

OTTAWA — The debate around sending weapons to Ukraine is being panned as a “red herring” by experts who say Canada can better support the country in other ways.

The comments come after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced this week that Canada will not send lethal arms to Ukraine, which is at the centre of a standoff between the NATO military alliance and Russia.

Trudeau instead said Canada was extending and expanding its military training efforts in Ukraine, which will include bolstering the country’s cyber defences against Russian aggression.

While the members of the Ukrainian-Canadian community have expressed disappointment, several experts say the provision of arms is arguably one of the least effective ways that Canada can support the country.

University of Ottawa expert Roland Paris, who served as Trudeau’s first foreign policy adviser, doesn’t believe the provision of a planeload of small arms from Canada will make much of a difference in Russia’s calculations of whether to invade Ukraine or not.

Carleton University expert Fen Hampson agrees, saying the provision of financial support and cybersecurity expertise to Ukraine is a much more effective approach.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 27, 2022.

The Canadian Press