Key Takeaways
- The U.S. under President Donald Trump is rejecting multilateralism and asserting its dominance over the Western Hemisphere, which could threaten Canada’s sovereignty and national interest.
- Trump’s recent actions in Venezuela, including the seizure of President Nicolas Maduro, have underscored the reality of his strategy to restore and update the Monroe Doctrine.
- Canada’s former ambassador to the United Nations, Bob Rae, warns that Canadians should not rest easy and that the country is "on the menu" for the Trump administration.
- Experts say that Trump’s strategy calls into question the sovereignty of Canada and other U.S. neighbours over their own national interest, security, and critical resources.
- Canada needs to take a more fulsome response to the Trump administration’s actions and expand the conversation beyond trade negotiations to the larger question of the country’s existence as an independent nation.
Introduction to the Trump Administration’s Strategy
The Trump administration’s recent actions in Venezuela and its overall strategy for the Western Hemisphere should serve as a warning to all Canadians, according to the country’s former ambassador to the United Nations, Bob Rae. The U.S. under President Donald Trump is rejecting multilateralism in favour of asserting its dominance over the hemisphere, without any notion of legality. This approach has raised fears in Canada and elsewhere, particularly with the seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife by U.S. forces over the weekend. Trump’s subsequent threats against Greenland, Colombia, and Cuba have further underscored the reality of his strategy to restore and update the Monroe Doctrine, a 200-year-old foreign policy statement that envisioned American dominance over the Western Hemisphere.
The Implications for Canada
Rae warns that Canadians should not rest easy, despite the fact that Trump has not similarly revived his threats of making Canada the 51st U.S. state. "We’re on the menu," he says, emphasizing that the Trump administration’s mindset is focused on asserting its dominance over the hemisphere, regardless of the consequences for other countries. The comments made by Trump’s deputy chief of staff and top advisor, Stephen Miller, as well as a U.S. State Department social media post that declared "this is OUR hemisphere," further support this view. Experts, including Fen Osler Hampson, a professor of international affairs at Carleton University, agree that Trump’s strategy calls into question the sovereignty of Canada and other U.S. neighbours over their own national interest, security, and critical resources.
The Threat to Canada’s Sovereignty
The U.S. looks to take control of Venezuela’s vast oil reserves after Maduro’s capture, which raises concerns about Canada’s own energy infrastructure and critical mineral reserves. Hampson notes that Canada’s energy infrastructure is on the table, along with critical mineral reserves, Arctic resources, and anything that the United States deems as important to its national security. "The U.S. is going to put us under enormous pressure, quite frankly, to follow its lead when it comes to China, and they’re going to look very carefully at the kinds of investments that other countries make in our own natural resources," he says. This pressure could lead to Canada being downgraded from a sovereign neighbour to a U.S. junior resource appendage, which would have significant implications for the country’s national interest and sovereignty.
Canada’s Response
Prime Minister Mark Carney has commented on the situation, stating that a functioning, not corrupt Venezuelan economy that produces more oil will be more stable for the Western Hemisphere. However, experts argue that a more forceful rebuke of Trump’s foreign policy strategy is necessary. Rae emphasizes that Canada needs to level with Canadians in making clear the nature of the threat that is posed directly to the country’s integrity and sovereignty, as well as the threat that’s posed to its prosperity and well-being. This requires expanding the conversation beyond trade negotiations to the larger question of Canada’s existence as an independent nation. The silence on Venezuela also undermines Canada’s and Europe’s ability to condemn Russia for its war in Ukraine, or China for threatening Taiwan, under the same standards of international law.
The Need for a United Front
Hampson notes that a united front is necessary to push back on U.S. imperialism, which could have significant implications for middle powers like Canada. "A world that is going to be carved up into spheres of influence… dominated by the U.S., Russia and China, with each claiming veto rights over neighbours and resources, is profoundly damaging to middle powers like Canada," he says. Carney is right to pursue stronger ties with Europe, which could help to counterbalance the influence of the U.S. and other major powers. However, this requires a more fulsome response from Canada’s political leaders, who need to engage in a conversation about the country’s existence as an independent nation and its place in the world. The future of Canada as a sovereign nation depends on it.
