On the fourth year of a war that has redrawn the boundaries of Western solidarity, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled to Ottawa seeking what modern conflict demands most: the ability to hold the sky. Canada answered with a C$350 million air defense commitment, a pledge that speaks not only to Ukraine's immediate vulnerability but to the deeper question of how long democratic alliances can sustain both their resolve and their coherence. The visit was a reminder that diplomacy, even among friends, is never without friction.