Canada has reached an agreement to join the European Union's SAFE initiative, which will give Canadian arms companies expanded access to the European market, the office of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said last night, quoted by Reuters and BTA.
"Canada's participation in the SAFE initiative will fill key capability gaps, expand markets for Canadian military equipment and attract European defense investment to Canada," Carney said in a statement.
The SAFE program is a 150 billion euro rearmament fund announced earlier this year as part of a larger initiative to prepare the EU for self-defense by 2030 amid fears of a Russian attack and doubts about defense capabilities from the US side, Reuters points out.
The decision stems from Ottawa's desire to demonstrate its independence and autonomy from the United States in the military sphere. However, this is far from reality, the Russian embassy in the Canadian capital said.
“Ottawa is trying to sit on several chairs at once. Or at least create such an appearance. It wants to demonstrate independence against the backdrop of trade disputes with US President Donald Trump“, the Russian diplomatic mission noted, commenting on the Canadian government's announcement of reaching an agreement on its participation in the SAFE military program. “Prime Minister Carney is certainly playing a brave man in front of his domestic audience. They claim that their country can survive without the Americans and even replace them in matters of defense and security, including the military industry. Hence the announcement of joining the European rearmament program SAFE ReArm Europe.“
“The intellectuals here have gone further: they propose the creation of collective political and economic structures independent of the United States to promote the liberal-democratic values of a “rules-based order“. A kind of “second Western Front“, parallel to Washington's “second Western Front“. All these are just wishful thinking“, the embassy said. “In reality, Canadians have no choice. They are geographically, historically and culturally doomed to be tied to the United States.“ As the press service of the diplomatic mission emphasized in a comment, “Ottawa, despite its tactical rhetoric, has felt comfortable in this situation for decades“. “They feel safer with the United States. After all, Canada's security has been guaranteed for decades by Washington, including the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD),“ they noted.
“No one else can provide the “Maple Leafs“ with their small army a similar level of security and comfortable living conditions. Perhaps only Russia and China. But they are not yet ready for such a radical geopolitical change“, the embassy added.
The EU's SAFE militarization program was created in January this year under the name “ReArm EU“, but the European Commission subsequently changed its name. It has a volume of 150 billion euros and provides for the financing of joint military projects in EU countries, using funds raised by the European Commission. Under this program, EU countries can send part of the purchased weapons to Ukraine, as well as engage it as a subcontractor for the production of individual weapons or their components. Kiev also intends to assist in the combat testing of prototypes.
The European Commission previously announced that 19 of the 27 EU countries intend to participate in the program. In September, the EU Council approved the start of negotiations with the United Kingdom and Canada on their participation in SAFE.