As Green Party of Canada members prepare to vote on whether Elizabeth May should remain leader during a transition to new leadership, May is once again making headlines — not for promoting peace, but for doubling down on her support for the war in Ukraine.
In a Facebook post marking Ukrainian Independence Day, May prominently quoted herself saying:
“Ukrainian Independence Day is about recognising the courage of the Ukrainian people against all odds.”
— Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party of Canada
The graphic accompanying her message features May smiling while wearing a yellow top with a blue-and-yellow ribbon — unmistakably the colours of the Ukrainian military and its Western allies. There is no mention of diplomacy, ceasefire, de-escalation, or the staggering human cost of continued war. The only message is perseverance — in armed conflict.
This latest post is a continuation of a broader shift under May’s leadership: away from anti-war Green values and toward NATO-aligned militarism.
War Posturing During a Leadership Vote
The timing of May’s message is impossible to ignore. It comes just as Green Party members are voting in a leadership review that will determine whether she can remain at the helm until a new leader is chosen. Rather than step aside gracefully, May has launched a full campaign for members to endorse her continued role as what she calls the “transition leader.” In an email to members, she pleaded:
“Please allow me to continue until we elect the next leader or leaders!”
In other words, May is pitching herself not only as the outgoing leader but as the indispensable architect of the handoff. And now, she’s leveraging global conflict — and aligning herself with militaristic messaging — to position herself as a strong, relevant voice on the national stage.
Praying For Peace – While Sending Weapons And Criticizing Peace Talks
While May released a separate video referencing her desire to “pray for peace,” she has consistently promoted uncritical celebration of wartime resilience, with no criticism of Canada’s arms exports, no acknowledgment of calls for negotiation, and no mention of the Green Party’s historic support for nonviolence.
This pattern is familiar: May often invokes peace only as a personal sentiment, not as a political demand. Her voting record and public statements have increasingly aligned with Liberal and NATO foreign policy. Her own co-leader, Jonathan Pedneault, has proposed a massive military-adjacent civil defence corps and new Arctic defence initiatives. While the Carney Government has pledged to spend 5% of GDP (about 1/3 of the federal budget) on war equipment May has not voiced any opposition to that move.
From Green to Hawk
Under May’s leadership, the Green Party has:
- Abandoned principled pacifism in favour of a hard line anti Russian stance including increased military spending and arms exports to the front lines of the war zone
- Purged anti-war voices from the party, including those critical of NATO and Canadian militarism;
- Endorsed military budgets and defence expansion, and particularly the militarization of the Arctic
What was once a party that called for Canada to withdraw from NATO and focus on peacebuilding has been rebranded under May as a softer echo of Liberal foreign policy.
Conclusion: A Party at a Crossroads
Elizabeth May’s latest message is a reminder that the leadership review is about more than logistics — it’s about direction. With the party polling at historic lows and struggling to inspire young people and grassroots activists, doubling down on pro-war messaging may please media elites, but it further alienates the core values that once defined the Greens.
If members want a truly fresh start, they may need to begin by rejecting May’s attempt to cling to power “against all odds.”
