“Ukraine – Russia”

Trudeau: Russia is trying to ‘divide’ western allies over turbine issue

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is standing behind Canada’s decision to send repaired Russian turbines back to Germany — despite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s assertion that the move violated sanctions.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Trudeau said the decision to return the turbine was “difficult” but “right.”

“Russia will not succeed in either weaponizing its energy or dividing our allies amongst ourselves. We are focused on being there to support Ukraine,” he said.

Junior made his choice, a bad one as usual and it still won’t help his German Globalist buddies a bit.

Germany worries about gas rationing as supply from Russia halted

Germans are fretting about the coming winter freeze even while Europe sweats in record temperatures, amid uncertainty over whether a complete stopping of Russian gas deliveries would force energy rationing on private households as well as industry.

A former Canadian chief of defence staff is warning Ottawa’s decision to return turbines to Russia’s Gazprom could be the start of western economic pressure easing on Moscow.

“This decision to send the turbines back … may be seen as the straw that broke the camel’s back, and we may start to see a relenting of pressure from NATO, from the West in general,” Retired Gen. Rick Hillier said, speaking to reporters Tuesday during a virtual news conference.

“Instead of going upwards and onwards with more and more sanctions, this might be the straw that causes it to turn downwards.”

Canada’s decision to ship a turbine from Montreal to Germany for use on Russia’s Nord Stream pipeline is an unacceptable and unnecessary breach of western sanctions.

The decision was described by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a sign of “weakness” and “absolutely unacceptable.” In Newsweek, a source close to Zelenskyy’s government described the rationale for the exemption as “bizarre and non-sensible,” and the decision itself as “morally bankrupt.”

Always watch what Trudeau does not what he says.

Decision to exempt gas turbines from sanctions right thing to do: Freeland

The Liberals are facing heavy criticism from Ukraine for exempting six Siemens Energy turbines, which were serviced in Montreal and help deliver gas to parts of Germany, from sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

Speaking to reporters in a teleconference after a meeting of G-20 finance ministers in Bali, Indonesia, Freeland said she understood Ukraine’s response but defended the government’s move as the right one to make under the circumstances.

“That was a very difficult decision for Canada and I understand the concern that Ukraine has about it, but it was the right thing to do,” Freeland said.