Joly, German counterpart defend decision to return turbines covered under Russian sanctions
CBC
Canada and Germany's foreign ministers are insisting Canada's controversial decision to send turbines used in a Russian natural gas pipeline back to Germany was necessary, despite Russia's apparent willingness to use energy as a wedge between the allies.
Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly met with German federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock in Montreal on Wednesday to discuss Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the war's implications on energy and food prices.
In July, Canada said it would grant a Canadian company an exemption on Russian sanctions and allow the export to Germany of six turbines under maintenance in Montreal that are part of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which runs from Russia to Germany.
But since then, Russia has reduced natural gas supplies through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Germany citing technical issues that Germany says are an excuse for a political power play.
Gazprom, the Russian company that operates the pipeline, has claimed maintenance on one turbine that has already been returned was not in line with the contract.
During a media conference with Joly on Monday, Barebock criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin for using energy as a "game" to create disunity between Canada, Germany and other allies.
"Our strongest weapon is unity within this alliance," Barebock said. "There is no chance, not even a single inch that Putin is successful in splitting us."
That decision to grant a sanction exemption on the turbines angered Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who called Canada's actions unacceptable.
Joly reiterated her government's decision that granting the exemption was a "difficult" one, but echoed her German counterpart's criticism of Russia and Putin.
"It is now clear that Putin is weaponizing energy flows to European. The world sees through his game," Joly said.
Joly and Barebock's press conference followed a tour of Montreal's port area where they visited a grain shipment terminal and discussed the war's impact on global food security.
Russia and Ukraine, both among the world's biggest exporters of food, signed separate agreements with Turkey and the United Nations in July, clearing the way to export millions of tonnes of desperately needed Ukrainian grain.
The first ship to depart from Ukraine's Odesa port on the Black Sea since the war left early on Monday, carrying 26,527 tonnes of corn to Lebanon's Tripoli.
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