On February 24, 2022 the Russian Armed forces invaded Ukraine, unleashing an assault on the Ukrainian people not seen in Europe since the Second World War. This shock has reverberated throughout Europe and has forced many countries to re-think their relationships with both Russia and their allies. The previously neutral countries of Finland and Sweden have nor formally applied to become part of NATO. And Turkey, which sits at the juncture of Europe, Russia and the Middle East, is playing an ambivalent role as both a NATO ally and an ongoing partner with Russia. Working with Western allies, Canada is participating in this realignment through training operations with the Ukrainian armed forces, and selective sanctions on Russia. However the effectiveness of these tactics is unclear, and we are struggling to come up with a coherent strategy against this emerging geo-political threat, where Russia, China, and Iran are forming a distinct bloc against other democratic countries.