If there’s a theme in the fallout from Chrystia Freeland’s resignation, it’s a complete lack of self-awareness as to what is going on. While Justin Trudeau apparently spent the day “reflecting,” he gave a speech at the big Liberal Christmas party that…was basically his usual stump speech, prefaced with the line “Like most families, sometimes we have fights around the holidays. But of course, like most families, we find our way through it.” It’s completely tone-deaf for what just happened, and pretends that he didn’t reward his deputy with betrayal and telling her that he was going to replace her with Mark Carney when that apparently wasn’t even fully lined up (which would have been incredibly unworkable as Carney doesn’t have a seat, and would be waaaaaay too busy as finance minister at this particular moment to run in a by-election, particularly given that the Liberals no longer have safe seats). Trudeau is bad with contrition, but this is next level. Oh, and then he cancelled all of his year-end interviews with news outlets, so he doesn’t want to face any questions for everything that went down either, whether that’s because he wants to convince himself that everything is still fine, or he knows it’s not and doesn’t want to he reminded of it. Either way, it’s just one more sign of how the wheels have come off, and it’s time to go.
Hearing from some Liberals who were in the room who felt what happened yesterday should have been addressed in a more fulsome manner… that it pretending nothing major happened wasn't what they were looking for
— Mercedes Stephenson (@MercedesGlobal) December 18, 2024
https://t.co/wfw2GNXEpE pic.twitter.com/8yYAIiG0pB
— Dale Smith (@journo_dale) December 18, 2024
— Dale Smith (@journo_dale) December 17, 2024
Meanwhile, there are MPs and former party operatives who think that Freeland should be the leader, because she is an intellectual heavyweight, and while I don’t disagree that she has the brains, she has proven to be a charisma black hole, and lacks the retail politics instinct that leadership requires. (And for the record, I don’t think that Mark Carney possesses the retail politics qualities either, or the patience to lead the party through the wilderness of opposition years and rebuilding).
And it wasn’t just Trudeau and the Liberals who are without any self-awareness. Poilievre held a press conference in Mississauga, and gave the line “if you hire clowns, you get a circus.” I mean, has he looked at, or listened to himself or his caucus? Ever? We are so screwed as a country.
https://t.co/pWPrwgqXRt pic.twitter.com/308XdVTGuh
— Dale Smith (@journo_dale) December 17, 2024
Refers to pretty much everyone right now in #cdnpoli.
— Dale Smith (@journodale.bsky.social) 2024-12-17T15:50:37.076Z
Ukraine Dispatch
Russia has been intensifying their attacks both in the parts of Kursk region that Ukraine occupies, and along Ukraine’s Donetsk region. Ukrainian intelligence apparently killed a Russian general responsible for the use of chemical weapons in a “special operation.” Ukraine also says they uncovered twelve agents working for Russia trying to determine the locations of their F-16 fighters and other air defences. And NATO is taking over coordination of military aid for Ukraine from the US, before Donald Trump comes to power.
On December 17, the head of #Russia's chemical forces, Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, was blown up in Moscow, Radio Liberty reported.
Earlier, #Ukraine's Security Service had issued an in-absentia suspicion against Kirillov, as he was responsible for the use of chemical… pic.twitter.com/bG5O0gEW9m
— UkraineWorld (@ukraine_world) December 17, 2024
⚡️Russia may encircle Ukrainian forces near Velyka Novosilka, monitoring group says.
Russian troops may encircle Ukrainian forces near Velyka Novosilka, located 74 kilometers from the regional center of Donetsk, the monitoring group DeepState reported on Dec. 17. According to…
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) December 17, 2024