Roundup: A trip to Kyiv

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For the two-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Justin Trudeau took an unannounced trip to Kyiv, along with Chrystia Freeland and Bill Blair, and were accompanied by Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, and Belgian prime minister Alexander De Croo, all to show solidarity and make new commitments. Included in that was Trudeau signing a security assurance package with president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which has been in the works for several weeks now and comes on the heels of similar assurance agreements with France and Germany. Trudeau also took a couple of shots at Putin, calling him a “weakling,” who killed Alexei Navalny in order to crush his opposition.

Freeland and Bill Blair visited an Operation Unifier training facility in Poland, and found that there is a real shortage of battlefield medicine equipment on the front lines.

There were a few events in Canada to mark the same anniversary, one of which was attended by Pierre Poilievre, who stated over social media that the Conservatives stand with Ukraine, despite his not doing a very good job of demonstrating it over the past few months.

Ukraine Dispatch:

A Russian attack overnight on Sunday destroyed a train station, shops and homes in Kostiantynivka near the front lines. Russians claim they have been moving to more advantageous positions around Avdiivka and Donetsk. Ukraine says they struck a major Russian steel factory during the anniversary of the invasion.

President Zelenskyy gave the official figure of Ukrainian soldiers killed in the fighting at 31,000 thus far, which is the first time it’s been stated in over a year. He also warned that Russia is likely to attempt a new offensive before May. Ukraine’s defence minister says that delays in promised western aid is costing lives (but has anyone been pressuring defence manufacturers to ramp up their production?). The defence minister and army chief visited command posts near the front lines on Sunday.

https://twitter.com/defenceu/status/1761450921609904450

Good reads:

  • Chrystia Freeland is confident that the pharmacare agreement (such as it is) won’t jeopardise federal finances (because it’s mostly a framework only).
  • The leaks have started about what to expect in the online harms legislation, which is due to be tabled today.
  • Canada’s ambassador for women, peace and security says that authoritarian regimes are leveraging social media to set back progress for women.
  • The Star gives an overview of the pressures the Canadian military is facing, less so from budget but more from resourcing and a shortage of personnel.
  • Oh, look—successive droughts on the prairies are driving up beef prices as ranchers are forced to cull herds, not the carbon levy. Imagine that!
  • Jagmeet Singh says he’s going to “squeeze” the Liberals for all he can for the remainder of the supply and confidence agreement. (Sure you will).
  • True to form, Alberta wants nothing to do with any national pharmacare plan but wants per capita compensation for it. (It won’t happen without provinces, guys).
  • Alberta is also going to start paying those child care operators who are in the $10/day system on time, which shows the government was precipitating the crisis.
  • Kevin Carmichael points out that our tax incentives that prevent small businesses from growing is part of our productivity problem in this country.
  • Stephen Saideman ponders the issue of platforming in light of a certain high-profile interview over the weekend, combined with other incidents in recent memory.
  • Althia Raj hears from Marc Miller about the fraying consensus on immigration, but how he is working to fix the problems that have crept into the system.
  • Susan Delacourt worries about American-esque bifurcation that is creeping into Canada and undermining our institutions.
  • Delacourt also recounts the experience of having her accounts hacked, and the ordeal that followed.

Odds and Ends:

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