Prime Minister Justin Trudeau defends his government’s decision to return the turbines used in a gas pipeline to transport natural gas from Russia to Germany.
The turbines, which had been sent to Montreal for scheduled repairs, were caught in the economic sanctions Canada imposed on Russia after the invasion of Ukraine.
The federal government said Saturday it will grant “a limited and revocable time permit” to Siemens Canada to allow the return of the turbines used for Nord Stream 1, a set of pipelines connecting Germany and Russia.
Speaking at a press conference in Kingston, Ontario. On Wednesday, Trudeau said the decision to return the turbines was “difficult” but necessary, given the need to support Germany and other European allies in the face of the threat of natural gas shortages.
“We have seen that Russia is constantly trying to turn energy into a weapon as a way to create division among the allies,” he said.
European countries have promised to move away from Russian energy sources, but the transition will take time. Trudeau said returning the turbines will help strengthen Europe’s energy supply as they make the transition.
“We made this difficult decision to be there for our allies, to ensure that in Europe, not only governments but populations remain firm 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. (Presidential Press Office of Ukraine via AP)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized 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 squeeze that exception into sanctions, what exceptions will it want tomorrow or the day after tomorrow? That question is very dangerous,” Zelensky said in his nightly speech Monday.
CBC requested a statement at the Ukrainian embassy in Ottawa, but referred to statements issued by the government in Kyiv.
Trudeau said his government continues 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 on Russian agents and organizations, focusing on Russian disinformation efforts and industrial manufacturing.
“The sanctions that Canada is leading, which we continue to put more and more pressure on, are targeted [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and his facilitators and they are not designed to hurt our allies and their populations, ”Trudeau said.
The World Congress of Ukraine says that as well as the Canadian Ukrainian Congress have urged the federal government to reconsider its decision to return the turbines.
In a statement to the media, the World Congress of Ukraine says it filed a request for judicial review of the decision before the Federal Court.
“Russia is looking to undermine Canadian and global sanctions and is using the turbine problem to blackmail Canada and Europe,” the app says.