Canada under our protection, NATO affirms
BRUSSELS • The secretary general of NATO says the military alliance will be there to protect Canada, if called upon, in the event of a nuclear threat from North Korea.
Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday that the organization is “extremely aware of the threat” from North Korea to Canada.
“We are NATO’s alliance, which is there to protect and defend all allies against any threat, including of course Canada,” he said, before reiterating the alliance’s support for diplomatic efforts and economic sanctions that put pressure on North Korea.
Stoltenberg’s comments come weeks after an emergency meeting of the House of Commons defence committee heard a United States general say the Americans don’t consider it their policy to protect Canada in the event of a missile attack.
The Conservative party’s public safety critic, Pierre Paul-Hus, was in Bucharest for general assembly meetings. He prompted Stoltenberg’s remarks with a question Monday about whether North America could count on support from the alliance amid heightened rhetoric between the U.S. and N. Korea.
Canada should consider NATO a protector rather than only focusing on contributions towards eastern European security, Paul-Hus said in an interview with the Post.
“My point was to let my colleagues from the (28) other countries know that Canada is maybe facing this kind of threat from North Korea,” he said.
Canadians have focused on the American position that the U.S. isn’t required to protect Canada, but “what’s going on with NATO?” PaulHus asked. “We’re a strong member of the alliance. … You have to think about us.”
The U.S. is a member of NATO and Americans cooperate with other NATO partners on ballistic missile defence for Europe. As a wider policy, NATO is trying to align its members’ defence programs so as to provide cohesive protection for Europe — especially eastern Europe, which neighbours a belligerent Russia.
Meanwhile, the U.S. partners with Japan — over which North Korea has recently fired missiles — and other allies on Pacific missile defence. But Canada never joined that program.
Conservatives are advocating the Liberals join the U.S. ballistic missile defence program, a change in position since their government under Stephen Harper never reversed the Liberal decision to decline participation.
Paul-Hus reiterated his support for Canada joining the program Monday, but added there’s no reason why Canada shouldn’t be talking to NATO about the same issue. He said Liberal colleagues with him in Bucharest congratulated him on the question and gave him a proverbial pat on the back, but he hasn’t heard Prime Minister Justin Trudeau or Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan raise such issues publicly.
“If Mr. Trudeau and Mr. Sajjan don’t want to push on that, it’s my job to push.”