Canada’S Response To The Ukraine Crisis: A Turn To Middlepowerhood?

The Euromaidan Revolution in Ukraine and the following Russian annexation of Crimea and intervention in Eastern Ukraine led to the world community facing the a new type of crisis. Providing its tight bilateral links with both Ukraine and Russia, the article investigates the ramifications of the Ukraine crisis on Canada’s foreign policy and its relations with the above states. The theoretical framework of the study is constituted by the concept of a “Middle Power” that has been broadly used to address Canada’s foreign policy of the Cold War era. In empirical terms the study focuses on multiple aspects of Canada’s foreign policy toward Ukraine and Russia before the crisis and the crisis-driven changes in these policies. Subsequently, the dynamics of Canada’s response to Ukraine crisis is compared with that of EU. The analysis demonstrates that initially Canada was one of the most vocal supporters of Ukraine, actively condemning Russia’s violent actions in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine. However, the change of government in Canada and the emergence of a ‘rapprochement’ trend in Europe led to the softening of Canada’s stance toward the crisis and its move to ‘speak to Russia’. It is argued that Canada did not pursue its unique Middle Power track with regard to the crisis, acting in convergence with the EU and USA rather than on its own. Furthermore, the Ukraine crisis was found to demonstrate the impracticability of Great Power’s rivalry in the era of ever growing mutual interdependencies and common challenges.