Canada watches for defence details at Democratic National Convention

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Canada’s ambassador to the United States says the country is looking for an administration willing to deepen its defence relationships as NATO allies watch closely to see what the Democratic National Convention may reveal about how Kamala Harris could approach foreign policy.

Kirsten Hillman expects Harris to follow U.S. President Joe Biden’s lead on defence but says the vice-president has had a different emphasis in her approach: focusing on the Western Hemisphere.

Hillman was speaking on a panel about NATO on Tuesday with U.K. Ambassador Karen Pierce and Estonian Ambassador Kristjan Prikk on the sidelines of the convention in Chicago.

Thousands of Democratic party faithful have gathered this week to build on the excitement mounting since Harris swiftly moved to the top of the presidential ticket ahead of the November election.

The enthusiasm hasn’t waned as the convention continues with party faithful, many wearing Harris shirts or bright blue sequined hats, arriving in droves for events.

Raucous applause filled the packed United Center Tuesday for top ticket speakers, including Sen. Bernie Sanders and Harris’ husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff.

Celebrations hit a crescendo when former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama took the stage.

“I think the speeches were wonderful and fantastic. I think people are very motived. People are energized,” said Adam Callery, a Democrat from Chicago.

Wednesday’s theme is “A Fight for Our Freedoms” and Harris’s running mate, Tim Walz, and former president Bill Clinton are set to headline.

Alysia Coriz, a member of the Democrats’ Native American caucus, was able to speak with Walz. She said the vice-president said “miigwech,” which means “thank you” in Ojibwe, at the end of his comments.

“That is definitely leadership by example. By being able to make those meaningful connections is where relationships start to be built,” said Coriz, who is from Santo Domingo Pueblo in New Mexico.

The convention, however, has provided little insight into a Harris administration’s approach to foreign policy.

Obama, in his speech, said America shouldn’t be the “world’s policeman.”

“But America can be, must be, a force for good: discouraging conflict, fighting disease, promoting human rights, protecting the planet from climate change, defending freedom,” the former president said. “That’s what Kamala Harris believes and so do most Americans.”

The first night of the convention saw Biden speak about his administration’s accomplishments, which he said included strengthening NATO and pushing back on Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Concerns over Biden’s health and the possibility of a second Donald Trump presidency cast a shadow over the defence alliance leaders’ summit in Washington, D.C., last month. Just over a week later, Biden announced he was ending his presidential run.

Trump has spoken harshly about NATO and threatened not to defend members who don’t meet spending targets, of which Canada is one. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said last month that Canada expects to hit its target of two per cent of national gross domestic product on defence by 2032.

Many European leaders have said support for the defence alliance has become even more important with Russia’s war against Ukraine. But Trump has mused about ending aid to Ukraine.

Democratic Rep. Jim Himes called publicly for Biden to step away as the Democratic candidate after the NATO summit. Himes said the stakes were too great to risk losing.

“A Donald Trump presidency is a presidency in which we probably walk away from our commitment to our allies in NATO, probably walk away from support to Ukraine, probably do a bunch of things (to) hearten Vladimir Putin,” Himes said during a talk at the CNN-Politico Grill on the sidelines of the convention.

Supporters have said Harris sees the importance of global security and defence alliances.

But it’s unclear whether Harris would act differently than her predecessor. The 2024 Democratic party platform, approved Monday, had not been updated to reflect that Biden is no longer running for re-election.

Prikk said whichever party forms the next administration, he believes they should recognize that American and European allies “share fundamental and vital interests.”

Among opportunities under a new administration, Hillman noted that Canada is keen to talk to its allies in AUKUS, a U.S.-led alliance with the United Kingdom and Australia.

Earlier this year, Trudeau mused about exploring the possibility of joining AUKUS for its second phase, which is focused on advanced capabilities like quantum computing, AI and cyber technologies.

“We feel optimistic about everything we bring to that partnership,” Hillman said during the CNN-Politico Grill panel.