Shillong, September 25: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau finds himself in a diplomatic standoff with India, a nation with a population 35 times larger and one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, according to media reports.
In the aftermath of Trudeau’s contentious announcement, his allies within the Five Eyes intelligence alliance have issued rather measured public statements, falling short of unequivocal support, as reported by the BBC.
UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly acknowledged that his country takes Canada’s concerns seriously, while Australia expressed being “deeply concerned” using strikingly similar language.
However, the most notable absence of support came from Canada’s southern neighbor, the United States. Despite their close alliance, the US refrained from expressing outrage on Canada’s behalf.
President Joe Biden, when discussing India during his UN address, did not condemn but praised the country for its role in forging a new economic path. Jake Sullivan, Biden’s National Security Adviser, emphasized that there was no “wedge” between the US and Canada, affirming that Canada was being closely consulted.
Other public statements echoed a similar tone of “deep concern,” coupled with acknowledgments of India’s increasing significance in the Western world, as noted by the BBC.
The challenge for Canada lies in the stark contrast between its current interests and India’s substantial strategic importance. As Xavier Delgado, a researcher at the Wilson Center’s Canada Institute, stated, the US, UK, and their Western and Indo-Pacific allies have constructed a strategy centered around India, positioning it as a counterweight to China, a strategy they cannot afford to discard.