Protestors can be seen in Edmonton at the Sieman’s building, and in Ottawa at parliament hill today. Protests are being held against the Trudeau government’s decision to hand over turbines for the Nord Stream-1 to Russia are urging Canada not to give in to Putin’s pressure on sanctions on Russia.
Source: solov_iiko
Canadian-Ukrainian Yuri Kolomiyets told the crowd of about 150 supporters assembled on the lawn of Parliament Hill that the decision will mean more oil and gas money for Russia to fund its attack on Ukraine.
Ottawa’s Ukrainian community is gathering on Parliament Hill on Sunday, July 17 to protest the federal government’s decision to send turbines to Europe for a Russian pipeline, despite severe sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine.
Protesters called on Canada to “be brave like Ukraine” and uphold economic sanctions against Russia on Sunday, just hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered essentially the same message to the Prime Minister.
The Liberal government is facing criticism for deciding to give an exemption to Siemens Canada to send the six turbines to Germany.
“This was a very difficult decision,” said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday, July 13.
Prime Minister Trudeau said the decision was more about helping Canada’s European allies, as they face an energy crisis in their efforts to wean off Russian oil and gas, than it was about giving some sort of pass to the Russian regime.
“We have seen Russia consistently trying to weaponize energy as a way of creating division amongst the allies,” he added.
The federal government has decided to send gas turbines to Russia that will help Gazprom continue to dominate European energy markets.
What are they thinking?? pic.twitter.com/jLUR0Ws0N1
— Jason Kenney 🇨🇦🇺🇦🇮🇱 (@jkenney) July 17, 2022
Freeland defends Trudeau and the Liberals decision to Exempt Gas Turbines From Sanctions saying that it was the “right thing to do”.
Speaking to reporters in a teleconference after a meeting of G-20 finance ministers in Bali, Indonesia, Freeland said she understood Ukraine’s response but defended the government’s move as the right one to make under the circumstances.
“That was a very difficult decision for Canada and I understand the concern that Ukraine has about it, but it was the right thing to do,” Freeland said.