Why America Must Expel Canada from the Five Eyes Alliance

Why America Must Expel Canada from the Five Eyes Alliance

The Five Eyes intelligence alliance—uniting the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand—stands as one of the most enduring and effective partnerships in modern history. Born from the 1946 UKUSA Agreement, this coalition has shared signals intelligence to combat threats from Soviet espionage during the Cold War to cyberattacks and terrorism in the 21st century. Yet, beneath its storied legacy lies a growing weakness: Canada. Once a reliable partner, Canada has devolved into a liability that undermines the alliance’s strength and jeopardizes America’s national security. Under President Donald Trump’s leadership, the United States has embraced an “America First” doctrine, demanding that allies demonstrate trust, reciprocity, and tangible contributions. Canada fails on all fronts—through escalating trade disputes, egregious intelligence failures, negligible contributions to Five Eyes operations, and a broader pattern of military underinvestment. The evidence is overwhelming: America must expel Canada from Five Eyes to protect its interests, strengthen the alliance, and set a new standard for global partnerships. Here’s why.

Trade Disputes: Economic Leverage Meets Strategic Imperatives

President Trump has redefined America’s approach to international relations, placing American workers and businesses at the forefront. Nowhere is this more evident than in the contentious trade relationship with Canada. For years, Canada has exploited its proximity to the U.S., benefiting from a $3.6 billion daily trade flow in 2023—equivalent to over $1.3 trillion annually—while resisting fair terms (Canada-United States relations). The Trump administration has responded with decisive measures: threats of 25% tariffs on Canadian imports, set to resume by March 4, 2025, signal a readiness to wield economic power to correct this imbalance. Trump has even floated the idea of annexation, a provocative stance underscoring the depth of frustration with Canada’s trade practices (Trump threatens Canada with tariffs).

These disputes are not mere economic squabbles—they are strategic opportunities. Expelling Canada from Five Eyes would amplify America’s leverage, sending an unmistakable message: access to U.S. intelligence is a privilege, not a right, and it comes with a price. Canada’s reliance on American markets—exports to the U.S. accounted for 75% of its total in 2022—means it cannot afford prolonged economic retaliation (U.S.-Canada Trade Facts). By linking trade fairness to alliance membership, the Trump administration can force Canada to renegotiate terms that prioritize American interests, such as reducing tariffs on U.S. agricultural goods or addressing the dairy quota system that has long irritated American farmers. The Five Eyes alliance should not serve as a shield for Canada to hide behind while it undermines U.S. economic security. Expulsion is a logical extension of Trump’s deal-making philosophy: America wins when its allies play fair.

The Cameron Ortis Scandal: A Breach of Trust Too Big to Ignore

In the shadowy world of intelligence, trust is the bedrock of cooperation. Canada shattered that trust with the Cameron Ortis scandal, a betrayal that reverberates through the Five Eyes network. Ortis, a senior director in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s National Intelligence Coordination Centre, was arrested in 2019 and convicted in 2023 on charges of leaking classified information. Prosecutors alleged that his actions compromised Five Eyes intelligence, potentially exposing sensitive U.S. operations to adversaries (Five Eyes allies raising questions as damage control continues in Cameron Ortis case: sources | CBC News). The breach was not a momentary lapse but a systemic failure—Ortis had access to some of Canada’s most guarded secrets for years, raising questions about oversight and security protocols.

The fallout is chilling. Sources suggest Ortis may have stored Five Eyes data in the cloud, using encrypted platforms beyond the reach of Canadian authorities, creating a persistent vulnerability (RCMP mole Ortis may still have Five Eyes intel ‘in the cloud’ new records suggest). This isn’t hypothetical—experts warn that such leaks could aid hostile states like China or Russia, who actively seek to exploit Western intelligence networks. The U.S., with its vast intelligence apparatus led by agencies like the NSA, cannot afford to share secrets with a partner incapable of protecting them. The Ortis case isn’t an isolated incident; it’s a symptom of Canada’s lax security culture, as evidenced by earlier breaches like the 2014 cyberattack on the National Research Council, widely attributed to Chinese hackers (Canada blames China for cyberattack). President Trump’s emphasis on strength demands partners who safeguard America’s secrets as fiercely as their own. Canada has failed this test spectacularly, justifying its removal from Five Eyes.

Canada’s Free Ride: A Net Importer Draining the Alliance

The Five Eyes alliance thrives on mutual contribution, but Canada has turned it into a one-way street. Labeled a “net importer” of intelligence, Canada takes far more than it gives, relying heavily on the sophisticated capabilities of the U.S. and, to a lesser extent, the UK and Australia. Canadian security expert Wesley Wark has pointed out that Canada’s intelligence infrastructure—primarily the Communications Security Establishment (CSE)—lacks the scale and technological edge of its American counterparts like the NSA (What are the ‘Five Eyes’? As Canada accuses India, what you need to know about the intelligence alliance | CBC News). While Canada contributes to specific operations—such as its role in the All-Source Intelligence Centre during the Afghanistan campaign—its overall input pales in comparison to the U.S., which drives the alliance with billions in annual funding and cutting-edge surveillance systems (Canada and the Five Eyes Intelligence Community – Open Canada).

This imbalance is stark. The U.S. spent $84.1 billion on its intelligence community in 2022, dwarfing Canada’s $1.7 billion CAD ($1.2 billion USD) allocation to its security and intelligence agencies (U.S. Intelligence Budget; Canada’s National Security Budget). Canada’s modest contributions, such as monitoring Arctic signals or sharing regional data, don’t justify the access it enjoys to America’s vast intelligence trove. President Trump has built his legacy on rejecting freeloaders—whether in NATO or trade pacts—and Five Eyes should be no exception. Expelling Canada would streamline the alliance, ensuring that only nations with robust, reciprocal capabilities remain. America shouldn’t subsidize a partner that brings so little to the table.

Military Weakness: A Pattern of Shirking Responsibility

Canada’s shortcomings extend beyond intelligence into its broader security commitments, most notably its military underperformance. As a NATO member, Canada pledged to spend 2% of its GDP on defense—a target it has never met. In 2023, its spending hovered at 1.33%, well below the U.S. (3.5%) and even allies like the UK (2.1%) (ANALYSIS | Canada has never met the NATO defence spending target. Can it? Would it transform the military? | CBC News). This gap translates into real deficiencies: Canada’s armed forces, numbering just 68,000 active personnel, struggle with outdated equipment and limited deployment capacity (Canada’s Military Strength). The U.S., by contrast, maintains a 1.3-million-strong military, bearing the lion’s share of NATO’s burden (U.S. Military Size). To put that in perspective, Canada has 145 generals and 210 tanks.

Canada’s exclusion from the AUKUS pact in 2021—a trilateral security agreement between the U.S., UK, and Australia—further underscores its diminished standing. Allies have openly criticized Canada’s reluctance to invest, with U.S. officials reportedly urging Ottawa to “show us the money” (Canada under pressure by allies to boost military spending – National | Globalnews.ca). While military spending isn’t a direct Five Eyes requirement, it reflects a deeper lack of commitment to collective security. A nation unwilling to fund its own defense cannot be trusted to prioritize the alliance’s needs. President Trump has long called out such laggards, and Canada’s pattern of weakness provides yet another reason to cut ties. Five Eyes demands partners who stand tall, not ones who lean on America’s strength.

Reimagining Five Eyes: Japan as a Strategic Upgrade

Expelling Canada isn’t just about subtraction—it’s about addition. The Trump administration has a bold vision for Five Eyes, one that includes replacing Canada with a powerhouse like Japan. Japan offers advanced intelligence capabilities, a strategic position in the Indo-Pacific, and a proven commitment to countering China’s rise—priorities that align perfectly with America’s interests. With agencies like the Public Security Intelligence Agency and a robust signals intelligence network, Japan is already a de facto partner in many operations (RESOLVED: Japan Is Ready to Become a Formal Member of Five Eyes – CSIS). Its defense spending, at 1.1% of GDP in 2022, is on track to double by 2027, signaling a seriousness Canada lacks (Japan’s Defense Budget).

Japan’s inclusion would shift Five Eyes’ focus toward Asia, where threats like China’s cyber espionage and North Korea’s missile programs loom large. Canada, with its focus on domestic and Arctic concerns, brings little to this fight. The U.S. has already deepened ties with Japan through initiatives like the Quad (U.S., Japan, India, Australia), making Five Eyes membership a natural next step (The Quad and U.S.-Japan Relations). President Trump’s deal-making instincts shine here: by swapping a weak link for a strong one, America gains a more capable ally without diluting the alliance’s core. Canada’s exit clears the path for a revitalized Five Eyes, one better equipped for the challenges of the 21st century.

Conclusion: America First Means Canada Out

The case for expelling Canada from Five Eyes is ironclad. Trade disputes demand economic leverage that alliance membership undermines. The Cameron Ortis scandal exposes Canada’s inability to protect secrets, putting American security at risk. Its paltry intelligence contributions and military weakness reveal a nation content to freeload rather than contribute. Meanwhile, the opportunity to bring in Japan offers a chance to elevate Five Eyes into a more potent force. President Trump’s America First philosophy leaves no room for sentimentality—alliances must serve U.S. interests, not drain them. Canada has had its chance and failed to measure up.

This isn’t just about one partnership; it’s about redefining America’s global stance. By ejecting Canada, the Trump administration can set a precedent: allies must bring trust, strength, and value to the table. Canada brings none of these. It’s time to act decisively, remove this liability, and build a Five Eyes alliance that reflects America’s priorities—because the United States deserves nothing less.