Canada’s Natural Services Minister Jonathan Wilkinson announced on social media on Saturday that turbines from the Nord Stream 1 pipeline — which supplies natural gas from Russia to Germany — that had been sent to Montreal for scheduled repairs would be allowed to be returned. 
	In June, Siemens Energy said Canadian sanctions imposed on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine meant the company could not return the turbines.
	In his recent announcement, Wilkinson said turbine maker Siemens Canada would be given “limited and revocable permission” to return the equipment – effectively giving it an exemption. 
	He said the delivery was necessary to support Europe’s “ability to access reliable and affordable energy” as it tries to move away from dependence on Russian oil and gas.  The government says it plans to return six turbines. 
	In a statement on Sunday, Ukraine’s foreign ministry and energy ministry expressed their “deep disappointment” in Canada’s decision. 
	“This dangerous precedent violates international solidarity, goes against the principle of the rule of law and will have only one consequence: it will strengthen Moscow’s sense of impunity,” it said. 
	Ahead of Canada’s decision, German Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck had expressed concerns that Russia could cut gas supplies to Europe after scheduled maintenance.  The warning followed earlier reductions in gas flows from Russia to Germany, along with Italy, Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. 
	While Gazprom, Russia’s state-owned energy giant, blamed the reduction in pipeline gas to Germany on repairs in Canada, German leaders disputed the explanation of technical problems and called it a political move.
	The Ukrainian government expressed similar concerns in its statement, saying Russia’s threats amounted to “blackmail that has no technical justification.”
	“Russia is able to continue supplying gas to Germany completely without this turbine,” it said. 
	Germany, Europe’s biggest economy, warned last month that it was in crisis over Russia’s decision to cut the amount of natural gas flowing through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline by 60%. 
	Alexandra Chyczij, president of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, expressed disappointment at Canada’s decision, saying Ottawa is bowing to Russian threats to cut off gas supplies by complying with Germany’s request.
	“Canada will not only violate Russia’s policy of isolation, it will set a dangerous precedent that will lead to a weakening of the sanctions regime imposed on Russia,” Chyczij said in a statement. 
	“This decision will ensure that the coffers of the Russian state budget will continue to be filled with European money that will be used to finance Russia’s genocide against the Ukrainian people.”
	Chyczij said Canada was put in a position to decide whether to fulfill an ally’s request or “keep firm the sanctions imposed on Gazprom and Nordstream 1.”
	Three Conservative MPs also issued a statement Sunday saying allowing the equipment to return undermines sanctions Canada has imposed on Russia at a time when it should be strengthening itself as an alternative gas supplier to Europe. 
	“Allowing the return of the gas turbine sets a dangerous precedent to extend Putin’s blackmail to Europe and will negatively affect Canada’s standing on the world stage,” said a joint statement by Tories Michael Chong, James Bezan and Pierre Paul- Hus.
	In light of criticism of Canada’s decision, Wilkinson’s office pointed to the minister’s earlier statement.  He said that not only is Germany’s economy vulnerable, but “Germans themselves will be at risk of not being able to heat their homes as winter approaches.”
	The statement also notes that Canada has sanctioned more than 1,600 people since Russia annexed the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea in 2014. 
	On the same day that Wilkinson announced that the turbines would be returned, Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly announced that Canada planned to implement a new set of sanctions targeting Russia’s transportation and onshore pipeline and pipeline construction sectors.  
	This report by The Canadian Press was first published on July 10, 2022.
	— With files from The Associated Press