Canada focuses on defence issues at Democratic convention

Photo: Adrian Wyld The Canadian Press Canadian Ambassador to the United States Kirsten Hillman speaks with reporters at the NATO summit in Washington, DC, July 8

Kelly Geraldine Malone – The Canadian Press in Chicago

Posted at 9:51 am

• Canada

Canada’s ambassador to the United States says the country is looking for an administration willing to deepen its defence relationship, as North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies watch closely to see what the Democratic National Convention might reveal about how Kamala Harris might approach foreign policy.

Ambassador Kirsten Hillman expects Harris to follow President Joe Biden’s lead on defence, but says the vice president has emphasized a different approach: focusing on the Western Hemisphere.

What will be essential for any president, Hillman added, is to continue defence partnerships and expand opportunities for manufacturing cooperation with Canada.

Hillman was speaking Tuesday on a panel on NATO with British Ambassador Karen Pierce and Estonian Ambassador Kristjan Prikk on the sidelines of the convention in Chicago.

Thousands of Democratic Party loyalists have gathered this week to capitalize on the growing enthusiasm since Harris took over as the Democratic nominee for the November presidential election.

The enthusiasm among supporters has not waned as the convention continues with party loyalists, many wearing “Harris” jerseys. or bright blue sequined hats, arriving en masse for various events and to hear speakers.

The convention, however, provided little insight into what approach a potential Harris administration would take to foreign policy.

The Stakes of War in Ukraine and Russia

On the first night of the convention, Mr. Biden delivered a speech detailing his administration’s accomplishments, which he said included strengthening NATO and fighting Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“We united Europe in a way it hasn’t been united in years by adding Finland and Sweden to NATO,” Mr. Biden said in his speech Monday night.

Concerns about Mr Biden's health and the possibility of a second Donald Trump presidency cast a shadow over the defense alliance leaders' summit in Washington last month. A little over a week later, Mr. Biden announced that he was ending his presidential campaign, pledging his support for Ms. Harris.

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Mr. Trump has spoken harshly about NATO and threatened not to defend members who fail to meet spending targets, of which Canada is one. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said last month that Canada plans to meet the goal of spending 2% of its gross domestic product on defense by 2032.

Mr. Trump has also raised the possibility of ending aid to Ukraine, and his Republican running mate, J.D. Vance, said at the Munich Security Conference earlier this year that the United States must 'away from defense in Europe.

Many European leaders have argued that support for the defense alliance has become even more important with Russia’s war against Ukraine.

As Kiev’s recent incursion into Russia’s western region changes the trajectory of the war, Democratic Representative Jim Himes has said that a second Trump presidency would be devastating for U.S. relations and security around the world.

Mr. Himes, who is from Connecticut, has publicly called on Mr. Biden to withdraw his candidacy after a lackluster performance at the NATO summit. Mr. Himes has said the stakes are too high to risk losing.

“A Donald Trump presidency is one in which we are likely to move away from our commitment to our NATO allies. We’ll probably move away from supporting Ukraine, we’ll probably do a bunch of things (to) encourage Vladimir Putin,” Himes said during a panel discussion at the CNN-Politico Grill on the sidelines of the convention.

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Changes under Harris ?

Her supporters have said that Ms. Harris sees the importance of global security and defense alliances. Moreover, Mr. Himes said, Ms. Harris understands that the world has become a more complicated environment for defense efforts.

But it is not clear that Ms. Harris will act differently than her predecessor. The Democratic Party’s 2024 platform, approved Monday, has not been updated to reflect the fact that Mr. Biden is no longer running for reelection.

Mr. Prikk said that whatever party forms the next administration, he believes it should recognize that American and European allies “share fundamental and vital interests.”

Among the opportunities presented by a new administration, Hillman noted that Canada is eager to engage with its allies in AUKUS, a U.S.-led alliance with the U.K. and Australia.

Earlier this year, Trudeau discussed the possibility of joining AUKUS for its second phase, which focuses on advanced capabilities like quantum computing, artificial intelligence and cyber technologies.

“We’re optimistic about everything we bring to this partnership,” Hillman said during the panel at the CNN-Politico Grill.