On April 6, 2023, I delivered a presentation at Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), Russia’s leading university for the study of international affairs. The subject of my presentation was the Canadian government’s chronic appeasement of U.S. aggression. In the course of my presentation, I argued that Canada’s voting record in the current session of the U.N. Assembly, its responses to war crimes committed by U.S. officials and its acquiescence in Finland’s recent admission to NATO all reveal a disturbing tendency to accede to the hegemonic agenda of the United States government – even when doing so is contrary to Canada’s security or other interests.
MGIMO students who attended my presentation were invited to ask questions. In the Q&A, students and I discussed such questions as the legality of Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine, nuclear proliferation and the foreign policies of Greece. The Q&A was moderated by the Deputy Dean of MGIMO, Aleksei Dundich.
The video of my presentation and the Q&A with students is can be viewed here.
In the course of my presentation at MGIMO, I made reference to a document setting forth the results of my analysis of Canada’s voting record in the current, 77th session of the U.N. General Assembly. (That document can be viewed here). My analysis reveals that, in the current session of the U.N. General Assembly, Canada has voted with the United States more than any other nation, except Israel. Israel voted with the United States 83% of the time, while Canada voted with the U.S. almost three times out of four (74%). Moreover, when Canada did not vote with the United States, it frequently abstained rather than cast a vote that contradicted the U.S. vote. In only 14% of the cases did Canada cast a vote which contradicted the U.S. vote. My analysis also revealed that, of the 50 states that voted most often with the United States, 42 of them, or 84%, were Western states.
Finally, I also examined the level of international support for the voting positions taken by four countries: China, Russia, Canada and the United States. China’s voting positions enjoyed the highest level of international support, with an average of 108 supporting votes. Russia’s voting positions had the second-highest level of international support, with an average of 89 supporting votes. Canada came in third, with an average of 87 supporting votes. The United States came in last place by a wide margin, with an average of 65 supporting votes. These statistics provide no support for the Western claim that China and Russia are isolated internationally. If anything, they suggest that it is the United States which finds itself increasingly isolated.
Fascinating insights though not surprising. I’ve watched Canada vote with the US against Israel for years. It is disturbing to see Canada increasingly cede its agenda to the political hegemonic interests of the U.S.
The msm, including the CBC, will either ignore your gesture of reason and open dialogue with our cousins in Russia, or they will condemn you for it. In any case, thousands of us stifled citizens can now feel a slight sense of national pride that one Canadian had the courage and knowledge to demonstrate our dissatisfaction with the US war agenda that is driving our nation into a passive-aggressive war with Russia and China. Thank you Dimitri! You carried yourself very well and I’m proud that you represented Canada so much better than our so called leaders do.
I am happy that I am not alone criticising the US-Hegemonial World policy since the 1960ies.
The main reason for the Ukraine-conflict is the “containment” of Russia through the US. They nearly annected the Crim in 2014 in entering Ukraine to NATO. Russia would have lost its only icefree military harbour Sewastopol. Thats like Florida with Key West becoming a member of the Russian Confederation….
Over 1000 military US-bases worldwide, that must end
Very good Dimitri. I think your views that of many Canadians. Thank you
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Greetings;
I have just finished listening to the Moscow lecture. It is wonderfully astute and passionately
committed to building the peaceable world. I, too, am a Canadian — and I wonder how Canada (which functions
like the yapping dog of US imperialism) can unhitch itself from the US hegemonic train careening
recklessly towards the cliff. How can Canada move way from subservience to an empire that is wrecking
the world? What are Canadians afraid of? What instruments could the US use to put the crook around
our necks — if we advocate working for peace and security for all? How could we stop playing our
role as a pathetic client state?
Excellent discussion! Great research, cannot wait to see your paper on Canada’s UN voting record.
I had the same revelations and the same reaction as Dimitri when I saw a Youtube video of an interview with Daniel Dumbril and then the CBC ‘Marketplace’ ‘report’ and how they twisted his comments to make it appear that he supported their views and when I first read Manufacturing Consent. Our governments and media are knowingly lying to us and all to appease the Mafia organization, the world’s largest criminal organization, called the US government.
Mr. Lascaris,
It was via iEarlGrey’s (Mike Jones’) channel that I found myself here. I thank you for your efforts in reviewing and categorizing the existing 84 counted votes of the 77th session of the U.N.. You have proven your point of appeasement conclusively. Indeed, one could draw a line at say, 55% of support and say any nation over that line is “under the thumb” of the USA. I was quite surprised to see Hungary so high on the list of “appeasers”.
It was your presentation at the MGIMO which impressed me. Thank you for providing a brief personal background. I enjoy reading or listening to a wide variety of sources and like to understand their background and thus be able to identify their potential biases. Everybody has them, myself included. Understanding them assists in contextualizing commentary.
I am not a lawyer, but like you believe I have a brain and should use it. I have repeatedly stated that Russia’s entry into the civil war imposed on Donbas was illegal not because of their coming to the aid of the rapidly acknowledged independent republics (LPR+DPR) but because of the invasions of Kherson and Zaporozhye, not to mention the push through Sumi towards Kiev. I understand why these were done (logistics corridor and fresh water and defense for Crimea, and to force a rapid negotiation to end the conflict, respectively). This does not make them legal. They are moral or strategic, but still illegal.
I was particularly impressed with your discussion of the “R2P” doctrine and share your concern that if this is ratified as an international legal doctrine it risks being abused just as it already has been since Rwanda.
In summary, thank you for a considered, educated and thoughtful presentation.
Finally, I was impressed that the MGIMO invited you, and the quality of the questions from the students. I had a similar experience a year ago attending a “Peace Conference” at a local high school as a “reporter”. The best question of the day came from a 17 or 18 year old student: but what happens to all of these weapons which are being flooded into Ukraine after the war? I also had the pleasure of pulling my head in. I’d come well prepared with a series of what I believed were penetrating questions, but withheld them all once I understood the level of expertise being offered by the presenters, one of whom was a veteran U.N. representative for the country I was in. Her wonderful observation was that nobody should be able to vote at the U.N. Security Council until they have run at least one U.N. Peace Mission.
I wish you all the best in your future endeavours and in fulfilling the task handed to you by the Deputy.
Regards, YesXorNo