Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is defending the Canadian government’s recent deal to import and repair Russian pipeline turbines for up to two years, calling it “a very difficult decision.” He said Canada ultimately decided to sidestep its own sanctions against Russia because it didn’t want punitive rules aimed at Russian President Vladimir Putin’s administration to contribute to Europe’s energy crisis and end up hurting natural gas consumers in countries like Germany . “The sanctions are aimed at Putin and his proxies and are not designed to harm our allies and their populations,” Mr. Trudeau told reporters during a visit Wednesday to Kingston, Ont. to announce battery material factory. Russia last month cited the late return of gas turbine equipment, which Siemens Energy was servicing in Canada, as the reason it decided to reduce the flow of natural gas through Nord Stream 1. The pipeline, which runs from Russia in Germany, it was reduced capacity to 40 percent. It has since been closed for maintenance. As first reported by the Globe and Mail, Canada recently struck a deal that would allow continued repair of Russian turbines for up to two years and allow the import and re-export of up to six units — a far more expansive deal than previously disclosed . Global Affairs Canada has granted German industrial giant Siemens Energy an exemption under Canada’s Russia sanctions. This allows the company to ship turbines from Nord Stream 1, a pipeline majority-owned by Russia’s state-owned Gazprom, to Siemens Canada’s facility in Montreal for routine repair and maintenance. Canada’s move sparked a major and public dispute between Ottawa and Kiev, and the Ukrainian World Congress, an advocacy group that represents Ukrainians abroad, announced on Tuesday that it was launching a legal challenge to the decision in Canada’s Federal Court. Canada is home to the second largest Ukrainian diaspora after Russia. The Ukrainian government, including Ukraine’s president, sharply criticized Canada’s decision, saying what Ottawa did represents a dangerous precedent that will encourage Mr. Putin to continue using energy as a weapon and seek to further erode the sanctions package drawn up by Western countries against Russia. “If a terrorist state can extract such an exemption from sanctions, what exemptions will it want tomorrow or the day after? This question is very dangerous. Moreover, it is dangerous not only for Ukraine, but for all countries of the democratic world,” Mr. Zelensky said earlier this week. But Mr. Trudeau on Wednesday said Canada and its allies must ensure that public support for Ukraine does not erode. He said repairing Russian turbines that carry natural gas to Europe – where consumers are concerned about security of supply – is an “essential part” of ensuring that “people in our countries continue to support their governments with billions of dollars in military and economic level and humanitarian support for the Ukrainian people while leading this essential struggle against tyranny and oppression.” The CEO of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, Ihor Michalchyshyn, said Mr. Trudeau was really hurting Ukraine and urged Ottawa to reconsider the move. “By waiving Canadian sanctions on Russian turbines, Prime Minister Trudeau is harming Ukraine and the Ukrainian people and European energy security. Giving in to Russian demands will inevitably encourage the Russians to make further demands. The increased funding in Russian state coffers will be used by Russia to finance Russia’s genocide against the Ukrainian people,” he said on Wednesday in response to Mr Trudeau’s comments. “UCC calls on the Government of Canada and Prime Minister Trudeau to immediately revoke this license and stand with Ukraine. Canada was under intense pressure from Germany to return the turbines to maintain the solidarity of the NATO alliance, a gesture strongly supported by the United States. Germany faced a potential energy shortage this winter if the Russians continued to use the lost turbine excuse as a reason to cut gas flows to Europe. Conservative foreign affairs critic Michael Chong has called for an emergency meeting of the Commons foreign affairs committee to investigate the government’s decision on the turbine, arguing it will “perversely” increase Russian gas exports to Europe even if Ottawa does not approve new pipelines and liquefied natural gas. domestic terminals that could increase Canada’s natural gas exports. NDP Party Leader Peter Julian also agreed to the deal. “The approval to keep these turbines for the next two years raises huge concerns about the government’s sanctions regime and calls into question the effectiveness of the Liberal approach,” he said. “By approving this license, the Liberal government is violating its own sanctions and benefiting Russia. This is shocking to Canadians. Ukraine relies on the Canadian government as one of its strongest allies and this is how the Liberals are choosing to show their support – it’s incredibly troubling.” ~ More to come. -With files from Reuters
