“What’s An Ally?” Canada and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization

Canada has, throughout most of its history, relied on its membership in NATO to create security benefits beyond what Canada was willing to invest in defence, to give Canada a voice and a veto in shaping international decisions that served Canadian security interests, and to engage and counterbalance our powerful neighbour to the south.  In an increasingly turbulent and competitive world where U.S. global leadership is less certain, it is worthwhile to ask whether NATO should remain at the heart of Canada's security policy. The short answer is yes. If the current Russian approach to power can be described as based on spheres of influence where weaker states do not have the right to choose their future, then NATO provides the compelling counter-argument—a model where order is not just based on power relationships but where power flows through rules and institutions and requires consensus. States like Canada benefit from institutions with rules but, more importantly, from a network of global allies ready and able to share security risks and burdens, particularly in today’s world of complex, layered threats and sophisticated new technologies, where it is even more difficult for individual states to respond alone. But to ensure NATO can continue to meet Canada’s interests, Canada needs to take a structured, strategic approach to identifying its security vulnerabilities and the assets and capabilities Canada could bring to the NATO table, applying smart diplomacy and increased defence spending to help shape the Alliance Canada needs.