Canada has agreed to send a repaired turbine for Nord Stream 1, a Russia-Germany natural gas pipeline, back to Germany.
This announcement has angered Ukrainian-Canadians, including those in Montreal, for whom the decision means one thing: more money for the Russian war machine.
"To lift the waiver and provide the Nord Stream 1 passage of gas again, all it does is it fuels the bank accounts of Russia, which they use that money to commit genocide in Ukraine," said Michael Shwec, president of the Quebec chapter of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress.
A turbine that helps push Russian gas through its pipeline into Europe has been undergoing repairs by Siemens Energy in Montreal. However, the sanctions placed on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine made it illegal for Siemens to fulfill the contract.
In response, Russia cut its oil supply to Europe by 60 per cent, thus threatening European economies and putting Canada in a difficult position.
"We suddenly found ourselves in the middle because we have a key component of the Russian war machine, which is the provision of gas and other energy supplies to Europe, our NATO allies and our allies in confronting Russia over Ukraine," said Elliot Tepper, a comparative politics and international relations professor at Carleton University.
Last week, Germany began rationing energy as it faces the prospect of a fuel shortage during the winter months.
"Canada will grant a time-limited and revocable permit for Siemens Canada to allow the return of repaired Nord Stream 1 turbines to Germany, supporting Europe's ability to access reliable and affordable energy as they continue to transition away from Russian oil and gas. Absent a necessary supply of natural gas, the German economy will suffer very significant hardship," said Canada's Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson in a statement on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Eugene Czolij, Ukraine's honorary consul in Montreal, expressed concern over Canada's decision.
"While acts of genocide are ongoing in Ukraine, the Canadian Authorities are creating a dangerous precedent where Western countries will give in to blackmail by the Russian Federation," he explained.
Nearly 100 people protested against the decision outside the Siemens Energy facility in Montreal.
"Please keep in mind that while everybody’s adjusting to different economic realities, Ukrainians are dying," Shwec added.
In an email to CTV News, a Siemens Energy spokesperson called Canada's decision "an important first step" and said the goal is to ship the turbine to its place of operations as quickly as possible.
