Letters to The Province, Feb. 17, 2022: The Western response to Ukraine is more facade than fact

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Opinion: Letters to The Province, Feb. 17, 2022.

A Ukrainian Military Forces serviceman stands in front of tanks of the 92nd separate mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, parked in their base near Klugino-Bashkirivka village, in the Kharkiv region on Jan. 31.
A Ukrainian Military Forces serviceman stands in front of tanks of the 92nd separate mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, parked in their base near Klugino-Bashkirivka village, in the Kharkiv region on Jan. 31. Photo by AFP Contributor#AFP /AFP via Getty Images

The aggregate Western response to Vladimir Putin’s renewed invasion of Ukraine clearly demonstrates the West’s claim is more facade than fact. Yes, there will be sanctions, we’ve been told ad nauseam, against the autocrat. But what was the effect of sanctions after Russia invaded Ukraine’s Crimea in 2014? So much for limited sanctions and the Magnitsky Act.

Will Russian Nord Stream 2 gas flow to Germany? Do not doubt. Will Russia be cut from the SWIFT international bank transactions system? Probably not. why? Simply because the West prefers big headlines about its intentions but is perfectly content to do very little to address Putin, who is allowed to invade a sovereign nation yet again (Russia signed the 1994 Budapest Memorandum to respect Ukraine’s territory); who invaded/annexed Ukraine’s Crimea region and instigated the armed incursion into Ukraine’s eastern territories; who has abused the human rights of Russians and whose security forces poisons (even on foreign soil) those opposed to him. For starters.

And Canada’s shameful response? Ministers Freeland, Anand, Joly and Prime Minister Trudeau merely offer hollow words — nothing more.

Allowing international thugs to do as they wish challenges the West’s “unified response” claim. It also speaks volumes about the egregious lack of Western leadership — Canada included — in standing up to the Putins of the world.

Gordon Zawaski, Parksville

Shame on you racists

Re: Racism in hockey — the story that never ends.

There is absolutely no room for racism in this world, and especially in hockey.

If you can’t control yourself from having ridiculous racist thoughts, then you’re clearly not a real and true hockey fan. You should be ashamed of yourself, as well as be banned from any hockey viewing. I wish we could make this happen somehow as there is no room for this out there.

If you’re a racist individual and do actually read this … shame on you. What gives you this right to be so jealous of all the good Black players in the NHL, and in all of sports. It’s because of their great ability that they make the team in their sport. Not because of the color of their skin. And because of their great ability, it allows us for some great entertaining sports viewing.

Shame on you racists, and stop this utter madness finally.

N. Preen, Kelowna


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