The scene in the Oval Office on Feb. 28 between Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President Donald Trump was deeply unsettling.

The geopolitical ramifications remain uncertain, but one thing is clear: peace in Eastern Europe may have drifted even further out of reach. For global food security, stability in that region is critical, and the current trajectory suggests an increasingly bleak outlook for Ukraine and its ability to regain economic and agricultural footing.

What has transpired in negotiations between Ukraine and the United States under the new administration should serve as a stark warning to Canada. While the rhetoric surrounding Canada as the so-called “51st state” may be irritating and dismissive, what could unfold in the coming months is far more concerning.

The U.S. has leveraged Ukraine’s desperate need for support to secure access to its valuable mineral resources, all while using peace as a diplomatic cover. The global community has now witnessed a new form of economic coercion – offering military........

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