Will Canada Join the War? On March 5, Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau said: "Canada cannot rule out the possibility of participating in military actions as the war in the Middle East escalates." These words were spoken by Trudeau during his visit to Australia in front of the Australian Prime Minister. However, Trudeau quickly added: "Canada will support our allies and always defend Canadians, while reiterating calls for 'de-escalation' of the conflict."

Trudeau's remarks are worth pondering. On one hand, he says "possibly joining the war," while on the other, he calls for "de-escalation" of the conflict. This kind of statement is very flexible, giving himself ample room. So, how should we interpret Trudeau's remarks?

First, understand why Trudeau said "possibly joining the war." At the time of making this statement, there was a special context — it was during his visit to Australia. As is well known, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand form the "Five Eyes Alliance," sharing intelligence. Therefore, Trudeau was maintaining traditional alliance relations at this time, not saying things too definitively. If he had said, "Canada definitely will not join the war," it would certainly have caused dissatisfaction among allies within the framework.

Then, why did Trudeau call for "de-escalation of the conflict"? Since becoming Prime Minister, Trudeau's core task has been to consolidate Canada's economic fundamentals. Canada's economy has suffered serious recession due to American tariff bullying. Whether he visits China, the Middle East, Europe, or this time India, Australia, and Japan, the essence is to serve economic interests. A U.S.-Iran war would have a huge impact on global energy, and the subsequent rise in energy prices would inevitably cause economic fluctuations, which is the last thing Trudeau wants to see.

If we summarize Trudeau's remarks in plain language, it would be: "The U.S. fighting Iran is none of his business, but he does not want to see a collective economic downturn worldwide." Canada and the U.S. are still allies in NATO and the Five Eyes Alliance. He can stay out of the fight, but he cannot publicly hinder the effort.

In my opinion, Trudeau's comments on the U.S.-Iran war are a balanced rhetoric of "vague statements and clear calls for peace." It can be confidently said that if the war does not expand (not affecting NATO), even if Australia is tempted to join the war, Canada will not send troops to the Middle East. This is a concentrated embodiment of Trudeau's pragmatic approach.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1858796883587530/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author alone.