The Big Story Canadian boots on the ground in Ukraine?
Aug 26, 2025
In this insightful discussion, Christian Leuprecht, a defense policy expert and professor at the Royal Military College, delves into Canada's potential military presence in Ukraine. He analyzes the implications of Prime Minister Mark Carney's visit and the possibility of maintaining a ceasefire. The conversation touches on the readiness of Canadian forces, logistical challenges like personnel shortages, and trust issues complicating peacekeeping efforts. Leuprecht also emphasizes Canada's need for a proactive stance in global security amidst rising tensions with Russia.
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Canada Faces A Zero-Sum Commitment
- Canada lacks the personnel, equipment, and funds to add a Ukraine deployment without pulling forces from elsewhere.
- Any commitment would likely be multi-year and could mirror Cold War-era long-term presence.
Ambitious Timelines Clash With Decades Of Decline
- The government's 2030 goal to restore large-scale combat capability is ambitious given 25 years of decline.
- Five years is probably too short to recover needed personnel and capabilities for major deployments.
Backfill Commitments Before Redeploying
- Provide headquarters capacity only alongside sufficient brigade-sized forces to be credible.
- Seek partner backfills (e.g., Spain) for existing commitments before redeploying troops to Ukraine.