Ukraine’s ambassador to Canada will make clear his country’s disappointment Thursday at Canada’s decision to allow pipeline equipment that was in Montreal for repairs to be returned to a state-controlled energy giant in Russia despite war-related sanctions.
Yulia Kovaliv is to appear before a committee of MPs looking into Ottawa’s decision to allow a turbine to be released to Gazprom, which Canada has sanctioned over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, for use in the Nord Stream 1 pipeline which supplies natural gas to Germany.
Read more: Canada calls Putin ‘bluff’ on turbine return for Russian pipeline: Joly
Last month, the Liberal government came under fire for granting Siemens Energy an exemption from sanctions against Russia and allowing the turbine to return to Germany and eventually Russia for installation in the pipeline.
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Siemens Energy was given a permit to import, repair and return up to six turbines for Gazprom, and the Ukrainian embassy says Kovaliv will renew calls for Ottawa to reverse the decision.
Kyiv has accused Canada of setting a dangerous precedent, arguing that the waivers undermine sanctions imposed on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine.
2:04 EU energy in jeopardy as Russia says turbine delivery from repaired pipes to Canada ‘impossible’ EU energy in jeopardy as Russia says turbine delivery of repaired pipes in Canada is ‘impossible’
Foreign Minister Melanie Joly and Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson are also appearing before the House of Commons Foreign Affairs committee today, with Liberal Speaker Ali Ehsassi saying it is important that the Canadians hear how the decision was made.
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On Wednesday, Joly and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock insisted on the need to return the turbines used in the Russian pipeline.
But they also said the fact that the turbine remained in Germany after Canada allowed its release _ and that Russia has since cut Germany’s natural gas supply to 20 percent _ reveals the level of dishonesty of President Vladimir Putin.
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1:57 Germany and Canada demand return to Nord Stream gas flow Germany, Canada demand return to Nord Stream gas flow
Russia had cited the delay in the return of the equipment as a reason for reducing the flow of natural gas through the pipeline going to Germany from Russia.
“We called his bluff,” Joly said Wednesday in Montreal at a joint news conference with Baerbock. “It is now clear that Putin is weaponizing energy flows to Europe.”
Ehsassi said Thursday’s meeting of the foreign affairs committee would help establish “the diplomatic representations that were made” around the decision.
Germany’s ambassador to Canada, Sabine Sparwasser, is also expected to appear before the committee, along with the European Union’s ambassador to Canada, Melita Gabri.
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