The turbines – which had been sent to Montreal for scheduled repairs – were caught up in economic sanctions imposed by Canada on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine. The federal government said Saturday it will grant “a time-limited and revocable permit” to Siemens Canada to allow the return of turbines used for Nord Stream 1, a set of natural gas pipelines connecting Germany and Russia. Speaking at a news conference in Kingston, Ont. On Wednesday, Trudeau said the decision to return the wind turbines was “difficult” but necessary, given the need to support Germany and other European allies in the face of threatened natural gas shortages. “We’ve seen Russia consistently try to weaponize energy as a way to create division among allies,” he said. European countries have vowed to move away from Russian energy sources, but the transition will take time. Trudeau said the return of the wind turbines would help support European energy supplies as they make the transition. “We have taken this difficult decision to be there for our allies, to ensure that in Europe, not only governments but also populations remain steadfast and generous in their support for Ukraine,” he said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized the Canadian government for its decision to return the turbines in a nightly speech earlier this week. (Press Office of the Ukrainian Presidential Press via AP) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky blasted the Trudeau government earlier this week, calling its decision to return the turbines “absolutely unacceptable” and warning that Moscow would see it as a sign of weakness. “If a terrorist state can extract such an exemption from sanctions, what exemptions will it want tomorrow or the day after tomorrow? This question is very dangerous,” Zelensky said in his Monday night speech. The CBC sought a statement from the Ukrainian embassy in Ottawa, but was referred to statements issued by the government in Kyiv. Trudeau said his government is continuing to pressure Russia through other measures. On the day the decision to return the turbines was announced, the federal government unveiled a new round of sanctions against Russian agents and organizations, focusing on Russian disinformation efforts and manufacturing. “The sanctions Canada is leading, which we continue to push harder and harder, are aimed at [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and his forces and they are not designed to harm our allies and their populations,” Trudeau said. The Ukrainian World Congress says it and the Ukrainian Canadian Congress have urged the federal government to reconsider its decision to return the turbines. In a media statement, the Ukrainian World Congress says it has filed a petition for judicial review of the decision in the Federal Court. “Russia seeks to undermine Canadian and global sanctions and is using the turbine issue to blackmail Canada and Europe,” the petition states.
