Russia’s state-controlled Gazprom cut capacity along the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to just 40% of usual levels last month, citing a delayed return of equipment serviced by Germany’s Siemens Energy in Canada. Canada has one of the largest Ukrainian diasporas in the world outside of countries bordering Ukraine and has successfully pressured Ottawa to impose increasingly tough sanctions against Russia since it invaded Ukraine in February. Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) national president Alexandra Chyczij urged Trudeau, in a letter Wednesday, to see through Russia’s “obvious ploy” to divide Ukraine’s allies. Instead, Ottawa should broker a solution that does not involve lifting sanctions, he wrote in the letter, posted on the UCC website. “Any waiver of Canadian sanctions would be seen as a capitulation to Russian blackmail and energy terrorism and would only serve the audacity of the Russian terrorist state,” Chyczij said. In an interview, UCC chief executive Ihor Michalchyshyn said the group was acting independently and was not being instructed by Kyiv to lobby Ottawa over the turbine. The Canadian government has not responded to UCC’s letter, he said. “We have not been assured of anything,” Michalchyshyn said. “That’s why we’re very concerned.” A Canadian government source said the Ukrainian government itself opposes the return of the turbine. Trudeau’s office had no immediate comment on the letter. “We will not stop imposing severe costs on the Putin regime while its unwarranted invasion continues, and we will continue to support our European friends and allies,” said Ian Cameron, a spokesman for Canada’s natural resources minister. The Russian embassy in Ottawa said Russia had no role to play in the return of the turbine. “It is a problem between Canada and Germany,” the embassy said in a statement. “We would welcome the release of the turbine which could help restore the flow of natural gas to Europe.” The technical problem with the turbine is just a Russian pretext, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said last week. Canada, along with its Western allies, has issued sweeping sanctions on Russia after Moscow sent troops to Ukraine in what the Kremlin calls a “special military operation.”
