March 1st, 2025 | Allan Ray

Trump Is Right, Zelenskyy And Canada Are Wrong

There won't be just and lasting peace without a real solution.

The war in Ukraine has dragged on for over two years, consuming billions in Western aid while devastating both the Ukrainian and Russian economies. In Canada, where our healthcare system is failing, housing is unaffordable, and opioid deaths are at an all-time high, the Trudeau government continues to send billions overseas, most recently pledging another $5 billion in military aid to Ukraine. Meanwhile, Americans are seeing their tax dollars drained in a conflict that has no clear endgame.

Donald Trump’s approach—forcing a peace deal by threatening to cut all U.S. aid—is the only realistic path forward. Yet, when Trump pressed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to negotiate, the conversation devolved into a shouting match in the Oval Office, with Zelenskyy refusing to consider any terms but total Russian defeat. In response, leaders like Justin Trudeau quickly echoed the new talking point: “a just and lasting peace.” This phrase was parroted by European leaders, but it rings hollow when the West continues to funnel arms and money into an unwinnable war.

In Canada, Trudeau repeated the same phrase, while Poilievre and Carney both made social media posts expressing their unwavering support for Ukraine. Euro leaders and Canadian leaders also continue to spread the lie that Russia's invasion was “unprovoked”, completely disregarding the fact that NATO's continued efforts to move East and encroach further on Russia are viewed as a threat to the country's national security. Putin has made this clear on several occasions, while reminding the West that promises had been made in the 1990s to halt NATO's expansion toward Russia.

What would Canada and the U.S. do if Russians began expanding further into the Arctic with military bases? We already know, because threats have been hurled at Russia by our leaders. Expanding NATO further toward Russia and giving Ukraine membership was Putin's red line, just as the Arctic is ours.

The Cost of AN Endless War

Canada has pledged over $19.5 billion in total assistance to Ukraine since 2022, including tanks, armoured vehicles, and ammunition. This is a staggering amount for a country where public services are collapsing under financial strain. Our healthcare system is understaffed, emergency rooms are closing, and people wait years for necessary surgeries. Drug deaths in major cities like Vancouver and Toronto are skyrocketing, with over 46,000 opioid-related deaths recorded since 2016. Meanwhile, Canadians can’t afford homes, as interest rates and immigration-driven housing demand push prices out of reach.

Yet, Trudeau and Pierre Poilievre both insist Canada will continue to fund this war. Trudeau has even suggested that “everything is on the table” when it comes to Canadian involvement in Ukraine’s security after the war. Does this mean we will eventually send troops? How much more of our national wealth will be sacrificed in Ukraine while Canadians struggle at home?

The same can be said for Americans. The Biden Administration sent $113 billion to Ukraine, with no clear strategy other than prolonging the fight. The latest G7 agreement to engineer a $50 billion loan for Ukraine using frozen Russian assets shows that Western leaders are fully committed to escalating rather than resolving the conflict. But at what cost? If this war drags on for years, the West could face economic recession, continued inflation, and political instability.

Negotiation Over Escalation

Donald Trump has rightly called for a ceasefire and peace talks. He has claimed that at one point both Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin were ready to negotiate a resolution, but Western leaders, particularly in Washington, refused to engage in diplomacy.

Trump understands what the political elites in Ottawa and Brussels refuse to acknowledge: Ukraine cannot win this war outright. The battlefield situation is a stalemate, with Russia holding large portions of eastern Ukraine and the Ukrainian counter-offensive failing to make significant gains. Continuing to pour money and weapons into this war only ensures more death, destruction, and economic hardship.

Moreover, Trump recognizes that the longer the war drags on, the greater the risk of escalation. There are growing concerns about NATO becoming directly involved, particularly as leaders like Trudeau suggest deeper security commitments post-war. If that happens, we are looking at a global conflict that could spiral out of control.

The same politicians who push for endless funding to Ukraine have no problem ignoring crises at home. Justin Trudeau has refused to commit to increasing military spending to NATO’s 2% GDP target, yet he is eager to send tanks, drones, and missiles overseas. Canada’s armed forces are underfunded and struggling with recruitment, yet we are expected to bankroll a war in Eastern Europe.

At the same time, public support for Ukraine aid is waning. A recent Angus Reid survey found that 25% of Canadians now believe we are doing too much for Ukraine, up from just 13% in 2022. Western leaders pretend that backing Ukraine is an overwhelming public priority, but in reality, ordinary Canadians are growing tired of sending money abroad while their own communities suffer.

With Trudeau's exit, Mark Carney intends to stick with this dangerous status quo. If the Liberals face defeat in the next election, Poilievre's Conservatives will be no different.

Ending An Endless War

If Western leaders truly wanted “a just and lasting peace,” they would be pushing Ukraine to the negotiating table, not encouraging continued bloodshed. Trump is the only major Western leader willing to acknowledge this reality. By threatening to cut all aid, he is forcing Ukraine and its allies to accept that the war must end through diplomacy, not fantasy battlefield victories.

For Canada, the choice is clear: we cannot afford to be part of this endless conflict. Trudeau must stop playing geopolitical chess with Canadian taxpayer money and start focusing on the crises at home. Canadians deserve better than a government that prioritizes war over its own people.

Trump is right: the war in Ukraine must end and Western aid must stop being a blank check. No more wasted billions while Canadians suffer. No more ignoring our own crises while pretending Ukraine is our greatest concern. If Trudeau truly wants a just and lasting peace, he should support negotiations—not endless war.