On March 5, Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau directly criticized the United States and Israel, calling their attack on Iran "hegemonism," which is rare within the Western bloc, as countries such as the UK, France, Germany, and Italy have been relatively cautious in their criticism of the US. However, Trudeau directly pointed out the essence.

Trudeau made these remarks during a visit to Australia in Sydney. The core of his speech can be summarized in eight characters: "Support the goal, oppose the method." Trudeau believes that the Iranian nuclear issue threatens regional security, but he thinks the way the US and Israel "strike first" against Iran is wrong. Trudeau questioned the US and Israel in three aspects:

First, legally, the action is illegal. Trudeau said, "This does not conform to international law or contradicts it." He directly characterized the actions of the US and Israel as illegal acts, emphasizing that international law has binding force on all countries, including the US.

Second, procedurally, it is unilateralism. Trudeau said, "The US and Israel took action without the participation of the United Nations or consulting their allies." Trudeau considers this a typical example of unilateralism and hegemonism.

Third, strategically, it has exacerbated regional tensions. Trudeau believes that the military actions of the US and Israel are "another example of the failure of the international order," leading to increased civilian deaths, humanitarian crises, regional tensions, and global energy supply chain tensions.

Trudeau concluded by saying that Canada calls for a rapid de-escalation and restoration of diplomacy. To achieve this goal, Canada is willing to assist in mediation.

It should be noted that when Trudeau made these remarks, he was still in Sydney, and Canada and Australia are both members of the Five Eyes Alliance. It is very rare for Canada to publicly criticize the US in such a context with such strong wording. We can compare the attitudes of major Western countries: although France and Germany emphasize international law, they have not directly criticized the US; British Prime Minister Starmer gave a speech yesterday, emphasizing that he should remain calm and consider Britain's interests, rather than serving "America First"; Italy currently only emphasizes "defense" and "protecting the safety of Italians." At present, only the Spanish Prime Minister and the Canadian Prime Minister dare to directly criticize the US, and their attitudes are worth commending.

The author believes that Trudeau has always emphasized the independence and mutual cooperation of "middle powers." This statement by Trudeau means that Canada is shifting its strategic thinking from being an "American vassal" to becoming "independent." For the US, public criticism from allies not only undermines the legitimacy of its military actions, but also marks that "allies" are moving away from this hegemonic country.

Original: toutiao.com/article/1858867312546823/

Statement: The article represents the personal views of the author.