According to a recent poll, one in four Canadians would risk open warfare with a nuclear superpower by having the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) directly engage in the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
A Maru Public Opinion conducted over the weekend suggests that 25% of Canadians want the CAF to join the fighting overseas immediately.
The poll comes as the Canadian government ramps up sanctions and measures against the Russian Federation after President Vladimir Putin ordered his troops to cross into Ukraine and launch an offensive against the nation’s capital Kiev.
Another 26% of those polled oppose the idea, saying Canada should never send its army into Ukraine.
“Canadians stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukrainians in every possible manner here. We’re pretty bullish about entering the fray. I think that’s the first thing that I take away from this,” said Maru executive vice president John Wright.
Meanwhile, another 46% agree with the current measures leveled against Russia and say that nothing else is presently needed.
Last week, Canada announced sanctions against Putin and those in his inner circle. The federal government has also targeted several major banks with sanctions and announced Monday that it would ban Russian crude oil imports.
“We all understand the reality of a potential nuclear conflict. We are actually talking about that…. Both countries [U.S. and Canada] are effectively saying we are prepared for more action to rescue Ukraine,” said Wright.
The poll was conducted between Feb. 25 and Feb. 27 and included a random sample of 1,519 Canadians. A similar poll would have a margin of +/- 2.5% or 19 times out of 20.
Russia has commenced in bombing Kiev and Kharkiv as of Tuesday and has told residents to flee the area.
According to US officials, columns of armoured vehicles barrelled towards Ukraine’s capital as Russia ramped up its operation to seize control of the country.
So far, attempts at peace talks have been unsuccessful. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said that peace could only begin if the Russians “first stop bombing people.”
