Interview with the US Ambassador | “Canada has taken another step” in Ukraine

In Ukraine, “Canada has moved to another stage” in defense, says the new United States Ambassador to Canada, David Cohen, in an interview with The Press.

Vincent Brousseau-Pouliot
The Press

The United States has long wanted its northern neighbor to do more in terms of defence. Barack Obama wanted it. Donald Trump wanted it. Joe Biden wants it too. And Canada’s efforts to help Ukraine have been noticed by the Biden administration.

“From a defense perspective, Canada has taken another step in a substantial and significant way. [avec la guerre en Ukraine]. From a military perspective, Canada has been there, alongside the United States, to lead the democracies of the world,” said Ambassador David Cohen, who is making his first visit to Quebec this week. On Tuesday, he will deliver a conference at the Council on International Relations of Montreal (CORIM).

In theory, NATO members like Canada must spend 2% of their gross domestic product (GDP) on defence. Canada devotes only 1.39% of its GDP to it. The United States expects its northern neighbor to increase its military spending. The Trudeau government’s budget, scheduled for Thursday, could also include an increase in military spending.

“It’s not Joe Biden’s style or mine to publicly put pressure on Canada to get to 2%,” said David Cohen. Our expectation is clear, and the Canadian government has also been clear that an additional level of spending [pour la défense] was needed. Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine has highlighted the importance of military spending. And we must not forget the Arctic, an incredibly important issue, particularly because of minerals. »

Softwood lumber: we need “productive negotiations”

Canada and the United States are working hand in hand on several international issues, such as the war in Ukraine and the fight against climate change.

David Cohen also praises the Canadian plan to reduce CO emissions₂ unveiled last week. A “detailed and quite impressive” plan, he says.

But there are also disagreements, especially on the commercial level.

In Quebec, the softwood lumber issue has been the biggest trade disagreement with our neighbor to the south in 40 years. The United States imposes additional tariffs on Canadian lumber. The current conflict – the fifth since 1982 – has been going on since November 2016, when Barack Obama was in the White House. Two presidents later, nothing is settled.

“It’s a complicated question,” says David Cohen. From our perspective, Canada creates this problem by offering preferential tariffs [aux producteurs américains de bois d’œuvre]. There’s only one way to solve this: by negotiation. We can continue for another 15 years [devant les tribunaux], but it is a matter that can be resolved with productive negotiations. In this case, the ultimate player in the United States remains the American lumber producers, who must ratify any agreement.

During his tenure, Ambassador David Cohen set himself the goal of rebuilding Canadian-American relations, damaged during Donald Trump’s mandate. “This relationship is unique in the world,” he says. We are close allies, friends, business partners. Our relationship is unique in the world, but its historical level of trust has been a little disturbed. »

In 2021, Canada overtook China as the United States’ most important trading partner, recalls David Cohen.

“Reminding people of the importance of our democracies”

David Cohen began his term as Ambassador last December. Due to the health situation, he spent his first months in Canada in the federal capital, which saw its winter disrupted by the convoy of truckers. This episode in Ottawa reminded him of one of the most important challenges of the Biden administration.

“There’s cynicism, skepticism, very emotional disagreements,” says David Cohen. We saw it with the convoy of truckers, which was not about the vaccine passport, although it was perhaps the spark. It was about a much more fundamental division that we see in Canada, in Germany, in France, in the United States. We have to get out there and get through it and remind people of the importance of our democracies. We must unite to preserve democratic values. It may take time, but if anyone can do it, it’s a unifier like Joe Biden. »