Canadian conservatives pull video showing Russian jets defending Canada

Canadian media reported on Monday that the Canadian Conservatives used footage of Russian fighter jets supposedly defending Canada in a promotional video on social media. "The video was removed—mistakes happen," commented a party spokeswoman.

The Conservative Party of Canada posted a video on social media over the weekend promoting itself as a party supporting Canadian values.

The footage included a scene where party leader Pierre Poilievre talks about fighter jets ready to "defend our home and native land," a quote from Canada's national anthem. Following this, the video showed Russian-made fighter jets – reported public broadcaster CBC.

The matter was addressed by the press office of Canada's Ministry of Defence, which stated in a communiqué that during Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, "Shockingly, Mr. Poilievre’s dream for Canada includes Russian fighter jets flying over our glorious Prairies on a 'training mission'" – quoted by the Canadian Press agency.

Conservative spokeswoman Sarah Fisher explained the blunder by mentioning that, for example, the Liberal Party used images of actors, not real voters, in promotional material from 2011. She stated, "The video was removed — mistakes happen."

However, as opposition New Democratic Party parliamentarian Charlie Angus pointed out, it's one thing to use images of actors and quite another to have an entire fantasy where Russia, America, and Serbia represent a vision of the country's future.

The Su-17 is a ground-attack aircraft from the 1970s that has already been retired from the Russian army. The Su-27 is a contemporary interceptor currently involved in Russia's aggression against Ukraine.