Amid a changing global security landscape and ongoing sovereignty taunts from U.S. President Donald Trump, one military expert says Canada may need to reconsider its position on nuclear weapons.
Personally, I feel like this is quite a level of escalation that I think is a bit too far for Canada. Nuclear proliferation is just incredibly risky, especially when it comes to normalizing the idea of more countries having nukes. If Canada gets nukes, then who are we to say that another country shouldn’t also get nukes? What if that country is Iran, or Turkey, or some other country that has a notably loose concept of restraint while being next doors to a hostile country?
On the other hand, nuclear weapons is a form of protection that negates balance of conventional forces, and few imbalances are as great as that of Canada and the US.
For me, I think that we shouldn’t get nukes, but a better idea is to help an existing nuclear power to reinforce their stockpile and come under their umbrella, like the UK or France. Canada is already one of the top uranium exporters and a major nuclear energy power, so there’s little reason why we can’t be a contributor to the building and maintenance of a friendly nation’s nuclear stockpile in exchange for their protection.
Not to mention that it’ll cut back the risk of proliferation.
You could argue, convincingly, that it’s incredibly risky not to.
Ukraine.
They made a deal with Russia to give up their nukes in exchange for Russia never invading them. Fast forward a handful of years and Russia invades them and they have no nukes as deterrent.
We’re moving into a future where everyone is going to need nukes as a deterrent from being invaded.
This is why I mentioned France and UK’s nuclear umbrella. It’s effectively the power of having nuclear weapons without actually having them.
Ukraine had the unfortunate fact that they only got a promise of nonintervention rather than a security guarantee backed by arms when they gave up their nukes.
Either way, while not having nukes might not entirely prevent others from pushing harder to get nukes of their own, at the very least, I believe we shouldn’t be the ones starting this trend. It only takes one country with an itchy trigger finger to normalize using nukes in armed conflicts, which is one step away from preemptive nuclear war.
Personally, I feel like this is quite a level of escalation that I think is a bit too far for Canada. Nuclear proliferation is just incredibly risky, especially when it comes to normalizing the idea of more countries having nukes. If Canada gets nukes, then who are we to say that another country shouldn’t also get nukes? What if that country is Iran, or Turkey, or some other country that has a notably loose concept of restraint while being next doors to a hostile country?
On the other hand, nuclear weapons is a form of protection that negates balance of conventional forces, and few imbalances are as great as that of Canada and the US.
For me, I think that we shouldn’t get nukes, but a better idea is to help an existing nuclear power to reinforce their stockpile and come under their umbrella, like the UK or France. Canada is already one of the top uranium exporters and a major nuclear energy power, so there’s little reason why we can’t be a contributor to the building and maintenance of a friendly nation’s nuclear stockpile in exchange for their protection.
Not to mention that it’ll cut back the risk of proliferation.
You could argue, convincingly, that it’s incredibly risky not to.
Ukraine.
They made a deal with Russia to give up their nukes in exchange for Russia never invading them. Fast forward a handful of years and Russia invades them and they have no nukes as deterrent.
We’re moving into a future where everyone is going to need nukes as a deterrent from being invaded.
Sucks, but humans are stupid, violent animals.
This is why I mentioned France and UK’s nuclear umbrella. It’s effectively the power of having nuclear weapons without actually having them.
Ukraine had the unfortunate fact that they only got a promise of nonintervention rather than a security guarantee backed by arms when they gave up their nukes.
Either way, while not having nukes might not entirely prevent others from pushing harder to get nukes of their own, at the very least, I believe we shouldn’t be the ones starting this trend. It only takes one country with an itchy trigger finger to normalize using nukes in armed conflicts, which is one step away from preemptive nuclear war.
Fun fact, the US also provided security assurances. (Budapest memorandum.) Those turned out well, right?