Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in a phone call on Sunday that his country would never accept the Canadian decision to resend turbines to the Nord Stream pipeline, “violating the sanctions regime” against Russia.
It was the first conversation between the two heads of state since Ottawa’s decision last week to return the turbines, repaired in Canada, to Russia’s Nord Stream pipeline.
Zelensky had previously criticized what he called an “unacceptable” decision and in his daily statement said he had told Trudeau that “Ukrainians would never accept Canada’s decision.”
“It’s a matter of respecting sanctions. If there is a breach now, it won’t be long before there are others,” added the Ukrainian president, accusing Russia of blackmailing the gas and highlighting the existence of other means to get the fuel to Europe.
After the conversation with Trudeau, Zelensky said on Twitter, without alluding to the matter directly, that the international position on sanctions should “be based on principles” and that pressure on Russia should be intensified, not lessened.
Ottawa justifies its decision, which excludes repaired turbines from sanctions against Moscow, on the need not to interrupt energy supplies to Europe, in particular Germany.
Trudeau “reaffirms Canada’s continued support for Ukraine in the face of Russian military aggression,” according to a statement that highlights the importance of “maintaining strong unity among allies” and the need to “continue to impose high costs on Russia for the illegal invasion and Ukraine’s unjustifiable
