I've seen Ukraine's scars. As a Canadian veteran, military spending will decide my vote

Andriy Tovstiuk · for CBC First Person

· Posted: Apr 20, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

This First Person nonfiction is the acquisition of Andriy Tovstiuk, a Ukrainian Canadian seasoned of the Canadian Armed Forces surviving successful Edmonton. For much accusation astir CBC's First Person stories, delight spot the FAQ. 

In March 2023, I returned to Ukraine for the archetypal clip since Russia's full-scale penetration began a twelvemonth earlier. When I was determination with Operation Unifier successful 2019 and 2020, I wore the azygous of the Canadian Armed Forces and was determination to assistance bid Ukrainian soldiers.

This time, I was backmost arsenic a professor, teaching strategical selling to Ukrainian IT professionals successful a master's program. As a Ukrainian Canadian calved and raised successful Edmonton, I've ever cherished trips backmost to the onshore of my ancestors.

But stepping disconnected of the bid erstwhile I arrived successful the country, I realized thing astir this spot would beryllium the same.

The streets of Vasylkiv, wherever I erstwhile jogged done quiescent neighbourhoods, present bore the scars of a full-scale warfare galore thought would ne'er happen. Abandoned conveyance checkpoints draped successful camouflage netting lined my aged route, frozen reminders of those aboriginal days of the invasion.

I met up with aged friends who had stayed behind. Their stories were hard to instrumentality successful — changeless aerial raids, chaotic evacuations and mobilizations, and the heartbreaking show of their favourite cafes and restaurants turned to rubble.

One Ukrainian worker I had trained with told maine however he'd spent those archetypal weeks pinned down astatine his base, dodging occurrence each clip helium ventured retired to rescue the wounded. 

It was a communicative of resilience, but besides a sobering reminder of each this warfare has stolen from truthful many. It stirred a overmuch deeper consciousness of the kinds of dangers we've agelong been shielded from successful Canada — and the reasons why.

During this predetermination campaign, I'm paying adjacent attraction to our governmental leaders to recognize what they basal for and what actions they're genuinely prepared to instrumentality erstwhile it comes to defence. 

Canada has ever been a steadfast protagonist of Ukraine. But arsenic a veteran, I can't disregard the uncomfortable information that our military's capableness to assistance is constrained.

Since Russia's full-scale penetration of Ukraine began, Canada's publication of subject hardware has been limited. By percent of GDP, our assistance ranks good beneath galore of our allies.

I don't deliberation it's due to the fact that we attraction less. But aft decades of underfunding, the world is our subject simply doesn't person overmuch much instrumentality to give. 

During my clip successful uniform, I ever had what I needed to bash my job. But it's hard to disregard quality headlines astir recruitment and retention challenges, oregon Canada's ongoing inability to conscionable NATO's 2 per cent defence spending target.

We've ever stood alongside trusted allies who helped guarantee our security. But arsenic the planetary geopolitical scenery evolves, it's lone prudent that we instrumentality greater work for our ain defence.

Freedom isn't free

After leaving Vasylkiv, I travelled to Bucha, a suburb of Kyiv present emblematic of some unimaginable fearfulness and unwavering defiance. 

Driving down Yablunska Street, wherever Russian forces had executed guiltless civilians conscionable months earlier, brought backmost the horrific images I'd seen successful the quality pursuing the town's liberation — scenes that had outraged the full world.

What struck maine astir was however earthy it inactive felt. Charred vehicles sat piled connected the roadside. Trenches, hastily dug, were present half-collapsed. A wide sedate astatine the bosom of municipality had been covered with turf successful an unsettling reminder of however caller the brutality was. 

Standing there, I recovered myself asking: How does a federation that has endured specified profound nonaccomplishment proceed to basal — and what tin it thatch Canadians astir our ain work to support democracy? 

That question stayed with maine arsenic I returned to the schoolroom successful Lviv, teaching students whose lives had been upended by warfare successful 1 mode oregon another. Many had loved ones warring connected the beforehand lines and yet they inactive showed up, anxious to learn, determined to rebuild their country. Their spot was some humbling and inspiring. 

What I've learned successful Ukraine is clear: state isn't free. It requires sacrifice, readiness and the determination to support it. 

I believe Canada's adjacent national authorities indispensable boost defence spending to astatine slightest 2 per cent of GDP— ideally, 3 per cent — portion strengthening our ain defence manufacture and securing Arctic sovereignty.

So far, the national Liberals, NDP, Conservatives and Bloc Québécois person each committed to the 2 per cent spending people connected antithetic timelines, portion the Greens person not. When deciding my vote, I'll be looking at however rapidly enactment tin beryllium taken, however overmuch backing is committed and each party's way grounds successful delivering connected akin promises.

Looking abroad, I believe Canada indispensable besides simultaneously enactment Ukraine's defence by boosting subject aid, sustaining economical assistance, collaborating with allies to transportation frozen Russian assets and supporting Ukraine's way to NATO membership. Their combat is our fight. 

LISTEN | Andriy Tovstiuk connected the predetermination and enactment for the military: 

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy erstwhile told his Parliament that wherever radical spot the bluish and yellowish flag, they cognize it stands for state — and for a radical who garbage to springiness up. Those words enactment with me.

They besides marque maine ask: erstwhile the satellite sees the maple leaf, what values bash we privation it to represent? And much importantly, are our leaders genuinely prepared to basal down those values with the condemnation and enactment needed to support them?

What's the 1 contented that matters the astir to you successful this national election? CBC News volition people a scope of perspectives from voters who stock the idiosyncratic acquisition shaping their prime astatine the ballot box. Read much First Person columns related to the predetermination here.