Decision to exempt gas turbines from sanctions The Right Thing: Freeland

Canada’s decision last week to send repaired parts of a Russian gas pipeline back to Germany was difficult but necessary, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said on Saturday.

The Liberals are facing heavy criticism from Ukraine for exempting six Siemens Energy turbines, which have been serviced in Montreal and help deliver gas to parts of Germany, from sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

Speaking to reporters in a teleconference after a G20 finance ministers meeting in Bali, Indonesia, Freeland said he understood Ukraine’s response but defended the government’s move as the right one under the circumstances.

“That was a very difficult decision for Canada and I understand Ukraine’s concern about it, but it was the right thing to do,” Freeland said.

“Canada is united and determined in our support of the people of Ukraine, we have provided $3.4 billion in total financial and military support and I am proud that Canada has led the way in many ways in supporting Ukraine and opposing (Russian President) Vladimir Putin. .”

But Canada alone cannot provide Ukraine with the support it needs, Freeland said, adding that a joint effort by Canada’s G-7 members and the transatlantic alliance is needed to secure that support.

Freeland said it was clear to Germany that the pipeline, operated by Russia’s state-owned energy company Gazprom, could be a problem for its leaders. Russia cut gas deliveries by 60 percent last month from its Nord Stream 1 pipeline that runs to northeast Germany, citing technical problems related to the turbine.

“Canada heard very clearly from our German allies that Germany’s ability to maintain its support for Ukraine could be at risk,” Freeland said. The United States has publicly backed Canada’s decision to return the turbines, a position Freeland described as highly significant.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on the other hand, condemned the decision as “absolutely unacceptable” earlier this week.

“The decision on the exemption from sanctions will be perceived in Moscow exclusively as a manifestation of weakness. This is their logic,” he said, adding that Russia will now try to limit or shut off gas supplies to Europe at the most critical moment.

In Ottawa, opposition MPs on Friday demanded that top Liberal ministers explain the controversial decision during a special foreign affairs committee meeting next week.

The Liberals agreed to have Foreign Secretary Melanie Joly and Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson ask questions.

Conservatives had asked Freeland to appear, saying he disagreed with the ruling that Liberals were trying to protect his testimony ahead of his comments on Saturday.

The committee will also invite the Canadian-Ukrainian Congress and the Ukrainian, German and European Union ambassadors to Canada to give testimony.

This report from The Canadian Press was first published on July 16, 2022.