The Liberal government faced accusations Thursday of fueling Vladimir Putin’s war machine by returning pipeline equipment in Montreal for repairs to a Russian energy giant.
Ukraine’s ambassador and conservative critics argued that Canada’s decision to return the turbine means more funds will be pumped into Gazprom, which is controlled by the Russian state, and in turn allow the country’s president to buy more weapons to attack Russia. Ukraine.
The accusations were made during heated exchanges at a parliamentary committee meeting where Foreign Minister Melanie Joly and Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson gave evidence about the decision to return the equipment.
Last month, the Liberal government came under fire for granting Siemens Energy an exemption from sanctions against Russia and allowing the turbine to be returned for installation on the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which transports natural gas to Germany.
The permit allows Siemens to import, repair and return up to six turbines for Gazprom.
Ukraine’s ambassador, Yulia Kovaliv, called on Canada to reconsider its decision on the other five turbines, which she said could lead to more financial support for the Russian military.
Kovaliv said Ukraine was grateful to Canada for its strong support since Russia’s invasion, but said its decision to drop its sanctions regime to allow the turbine’s return set a dangerous precedent and had already strengthened Canada’s sense of impunity. Moscow.
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The ambassador said the decision marked a slippery slope and allows Russia to arm the energy while giving Putin “cause for more blackmail.”
He said Canada’s repair and return of additional turbines will be “turned into tools of humiliation by Russia and there is no need to take the bait.”
He warned against appeasing Putin’s “energy blackmail” and called on Canada to revoke the permit, adding that the gas could be pumped into the EU through a pipeline in Ukraine.
The Tories and the ambassador warn that Canada is fueling Putin’s war machine by returning the #turbines. #CDNPoli #NordStream1 #UkraineInvasion
Speaking after the meeting, Kovaliv denied that Putin had succeeded in dividing allies supporting Ukraine over the turbine issue, saying they remained “united.”
German Ambassador Sabine Sparwasser said it was only after much soul-searching that Germany asked Canada for a waiver of its sanctions to return the turbine being repaired in Montreal. She said that her country was very grateful to Canada for doing so.
The turbine was first shipped to Germany and is supposed to eventually go to Russia, but it remains in Sparwasser’s country. She said that Putin is using it as an excuse to limit gas supplies and that Russia does not want to collect it even though it is in perfect condition.
Since then, Russia has reduced the flow of the pipeline to 20 percent of its capacity. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Gazprom needs documents from Siemens Energy showing that the equipment is not subject to Western sanctions before it can be returned to Russia.
Asked during the hearing whether Canada should cancel the permit for the other five turbines if Russia does not pick up the repaired one, the ambassador said: “We’ll see what happens.”
He said Germany did not want to fall into Putin’s “trap” and was working hard to reduce its reliance on Russian gas to heat homes, including looking to Canada for liquefied natural gas and green hydrogen as energy sources in the future.
The EU’s ambassador to Canada, Melita Gabric, accused Russia of using energy supplies as a “weapon” against EU states.
Germany has reduced its dependence on Russian natural gas from 55 percent to 26 percent, and is stockpiling fuel for next winter, he said.
Conservative MP James Bezan told the committee that Canada had been “outmaneuvered by the Russian Federation”.
He said it looked like Putin was playing chess while Canada was playing checkers and accused the liberal government of “enabling” Gazprom, which would give Russia more funds to buy weapons to kill Ukrainians.
“It’s shameful that the Canadian government capitulated,” he said.
Alexandra Chyczij of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress told MPs the decision to return the turbines was “the thin edge of the wedge” and the first exemption from sanctions since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February.
He warned that “appeasing dictators” never works and just “emboldens them.”
But Foreign Minister Melanie Joly denied that Canada was capitulating, insisting that it was drawing Putin’s attention instead. She said that returning the turbine denied Putin a pretext to reduce the flow of natural gas through the pipeline.
Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson echoed this sentiment, saying that exposing Putin’s dishonesty had always been a reason for the decision.
The German ambassador also said that one of the reasons he made the decision was to denounce Putin’s deception, as well as wanting to “test” whether returning the turbine would increase gas flows from Russia.
But Conservative MP Marty Morantz pointed out that the Liberal government did not use this language when the decision was first made. He questioned when he decided that the justification was to uncover Putin’s deception, rather than to secure Europe’s gas supply.
Conservatives also questioned whether the government had actively explored the alternative of pipeline gas through Ukraine.
Wilkinson said the option had been discussed in detail but was not considered viable, especially since Ukraine’s pipelines passed through a war zone. He added that Canada was working closely with European nations to help them wean themselves off Russian energy to heat their homes, including by planning for Canada’s natural gas supply.
Both Wilkinson and Joly said the decision was made after extensive consultation, including with Ukraine, and was difficult.
Wilkinson said the sanctions imposed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are intended to punish Putin and not to punish Canada’s allies in Europe.
Joly said the government was firmly committed to continuing sanctions to put pressure on Putin and was planning new rounds every two weeks.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on August 4, 2022.