«Count on!"

Whoever gets left behind is forced to deal with the new emptiness — visible, tangible, and confusing.
And sooner or later, the question appears: Why?
New happiness? Old conflicts? Or a final farewell?

But then the phrase continues: “Count on it!”
Which instantly raises another question: Count on what?
On a promise? On hope? On luck?
Clearly, what we mean isn’t leaving — it’s trusting.
It’s about reliability.
About the foundation on which relationships can safely park and rest for a while.

So far, so personal.

Let’s zoom out to a bigger picture — nations, for example.
Countries, too, have relationships.
Some are loving, some are complicated, and some just pretend to work.

The European Union, for instance, has decided to move its flirt with Canada to the next level.
Brussels officially invited Ottawa to join the SAFE Defence Program —
for the modest entry fee of sixteen million Canadian dollars.
A cheap friendship ring, considering the whole project is worth around 150 billion.

Symbolism aside, the message is clear:
The EU wants Canada on board — and on land.
The UK had knocked on that door long before, hoping for a seat at the table.
But London got ghosted.

Why?
Well, the UK is technically in Europe. Canada isn’t.
So what does Canada have that Britain doesn’t?
Maybe it’s that little word Brexit still echoing awkwardly through European hallways —
the one that literally means “to leave.”

Leave?
Ah. There we have it again.

So what is SAFE, exactly?
It stands for Strategic Alliance for Energy Foundation — a fancy name for an EU program meant to strengthen Europe’s energy security.
It aims to reduce dependency on outside suppliers and to build resilience against potential crises.
At least, that’s the official story.

But why Canada, of all countries?
Canada’s defence history has always been closely tied to that of the United States.
It didn’t just count on its southern neighbour — it built with it.
A perfect example is NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, founded in 1958.
This bi-national partnership still watches the skies over North America and reacts to any threat.
A masterclass in trust and cooperation.

All fine so far.
But the world’s power balance is shifting — fast.
Old alliances are rusting.
New ones are being built on fresh ground.

With a bit of “spare change,” Canada is buying itself more independence from traditional power structures.
And Europe, quite sensibly, sees Canada as a partner worth counting on — steady, capable, reliable.

Canada doesn’t shout.
It acts.
Quietly, efficiently, and often heroically.
History says so: in 1943, Canadian troops helped liberate Italy and the Netherlands from Nazi occupation.
To this day, the Dutch send thousands of tulips to Canada every spring —
a colourful thank-you for freedom.

Because you could count on Canada.
And still can.

Reliability, it seems, strengthens not just friendships — but entire nations.