I never thought Canada would face the threat my homeland did

Nino Antadze · for CBC First Person

· Posted: Apr 14, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

This First Person nonfiction is the acquisition of Nino Antadze, an subordinate prof astatine the University of Prince Edward Island. For much accusation astir CBC's First Person stories, please spot the FAQ. 

I was a PhD pupil astatine the University of Waterloo erstwhile Russia invaded my homeland — the tiny state of Georgia, which straddles southwestern Asia and Europe — successful August 2008.

Within days, Russian troops were little than 80 kilometres distant from the superior Tbilisi, wherever my household lived. I called my parents and member to transportation them to leave, but they refused. Thousands of kilometres away, I felt utterly powerless and desperate, incapable to bash thing amid the oncoming catastrophe. 

By this time, I had been successful Canada for astir a year. I was enjoying the intelligence excitement of postgraduate studies and the sunlit streets of Waterloo, Ont., acknowledgment to a generous scholarship. Yet, the quiet, predictable surroundings of the assemblage field were successful crisp opposition with the interior turmoil I was experiencing.

Russia yet retreated without taking implicit Tbilisi, but immoderate areas stay occupied to this day. Last year, Russia's power strengthened, and Georgia present has an medication progressively aligned with Moscow pursuing a disputed nationalist predetermination successful October. 

The shadiness of Russia's imperialism is agelong and dark, stretching crossed centuries and countries. For me, it is rather idiosyncratic — 3 of my household members were victims of Stalin's Great Terror of 1937 to 1938, when more than 1 cardinal citizens were arrested and convicted mostly for anti-Soviet activity. Two of my household members were executed and 1 disappeared successful a labour campy determination successful Siberia.

When I was born, the Soviet Union was entering the past decennary of its existence. Its past years successful Georgia were marked by the nighttime of April 9, 1989 erstwhile the Soviet service violently attacked a radical of peaceful anti-Soviet protesters successful beforehand of the Parliament gathering successful Tbilisi, leaving 20 radical dead. Although I was a kid, I retrieve that time precise well. There was mourning but besides anticipation for an emerging autarkic country. The Soviet Union collapsed a fewer years later, successful 1991, yet the roadworthy to state aft 200 years of Russian and Soviet imperial regularisation would beryllium agelong and painful.

The anxiousness that comes with the changeless menace to your state has ever been thing I associated with that portion of my beingness and that portion of the world. Only aft resettling successful Canada did I admit what it meant to unrecorded successful a state wherever you could program your beingness without  worrying astir governmental and economical instability oregon an equipped conflict.

That's wherefore reliving the acquainted anxiousness present successful Canada was unexpected.

Since Trump began referring to Canada arsenic "the 51st state" and our premier curate arsenic "a governor," I person had a terrible, nauseating feeling of déjà vu. Canadians who are unfamiliar with Eastern European politics may not spot the similarities betwixt Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. But my acquisition shows maine that their playbooks are precise similar.

The commencement of Russia's full-scale penetration of  Ukraine is marked connected February 24, 2022 — the time Russian troops crossed the Ukrainian border. But the time I retrieve is 2 days earlier erstwhile Putin delivered a two-hour televised code successful which helium erstwhile again claimed that Ukraine was not truly a state — that it was created by Russia and has ne'er had a statehood of its own. What I heard was Putin voicing a pretext to warrant subject enactment conscionable similar helium did earlier the  annexation of Georgian territories, and I came to the chilling decision that the warfare successful Ukraine was present inevitable. 

Every clip Trump repeats his  claims that the Canada-U.S. borderline is an "artificial line" oregon erstwhile Elon Musk tweeted that "Canada is not a existent country" (a tweet helium has since deleted), I can't help but callback Putin's terrifying speech.

I spot different narratives utilized by Putin to warrant his warfare connected Ukraine in Trump's rhetoric, too. Putin has claimed that those surviving connected the territories targeted for takeover really privation to beryllium portion of a stronger, bigger country. In Canada's case, Trump has claimed that Canadians privation to go a U.S. state.

I besides retrieve Russia imposing commercialized bans connected Georgia's astir lucrative exports — vino and mineral h2o — arsenic tensions betwixt the 2 countries escalated earlier the 2008 war. My household thankfully wasn't straight impacted, but for immoderate of our acquaintances, this meant losing their jobs erstwhile uncovering a well-paid occupation was already a challenge. I admit a akin signifier successful President Trump's maneuver with Canada — punish us with tariffs connected 1 manus and committedness things similar little taxes if Canada becomes a U.S. state. 

For me, these parallels are excessively evident to ignore. It feels similar I americium being followed by the shadiness of Putin's Russia present successful Canada, wherever I thought it could ne'er scope me.  

When I took the oath of Canadian citizenship astir a decennary ago, I ne'er imagined that the state I present telephone location would beryllium threatened by a United States headed by a president who seems to have an affinity for a Russian dictator. But that's precisely the presumption I find myself successful today.  

My life acquisition has taught maine to ne'er instrumentality my freedoms for granted. I grew up successful a state accustomed to defending its sovereignty from a mighty and almighty neighbour, and present it's my work arsenic a Canadian national to basal up for Canada's sovereignty, too. 

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