In the United States, the Republicans can't be trusted, but neither can Joe Biden. In Canada, it'll depend on genuine conservatives holding the line in Poilievre's party.
One more comment you made which can easily be missed given the length and topic of the article...
"plotting out their unlimited ambition, they put a declaration out about our Canadian Arctic"
This is of such massive importance and yet barely talked about in Canada. Canada must fast-track our ability to get oil and gas to Europe using emergency measures, with a full plan to secure our North and all the borders and oceans included!
Yes, a change in Gov is needed ASAP. Canada has lost on Billions of $ in revenue and the opportunity to enrich the future of the Country by turning away Germany and Japan for the supply of Nat Gas and oil. The stupidity and lack of savvy is astounding.
After Alexandre Bissonnette went on a shooting rampage in a mosque in Quebec, ever single french-Canadian elected official in Quebec had a moral obligation to publicly denounce the atrocity unequivocally, sending a strong and unified message that any degree of anti-Muslim intolerance and bigotry is not accepted in french-Canadian culture. Thankfully, essentially every french-Canadian elected official rose to the occasion (and many others besides). Likewise when Nathaniel Veltman mowed down a Muslim family with his car in London, Ontario - official denunciations and public programs to combat the bigotry that underlies these atrocities are called for.
By the same token, after Hamas massacred hundreds of innocent Israelis on October 7th in the most barbaric manner, every single Muslim elected official in Canada had a moral obligation to publicly denounce that atrocity unequivocally, sending a strong and unified message that any degree of Jew-hatred is not accepted in our culture. Sadly, the Hamas caucus of the Liberal-NDP coalition government has been conspicuously derelict in their duty to uphold Canadian values and push back against the outpouring of Jew-hatred and intimidation that has blemished every Canadian city and university (!) practically every day since.
And the entire non-Muslim Liberal-NDP caucus is perfectly comfortable with that dereliction of duty. Not a single defection to date.
Thanks for bringing in Shuvaloy Majumder to explain the Conservative position on the Ukraine package. It helps. For you, Mr. Glavin, may you take the time to find some peace and joy for yourself at this time of year. You’ve earned it.
"Stand with Ukraine" is a bit of a red flag in my opinion. Having been to and through Ukraine in 2019 and being of Ukrainian decent, my thoughts and concerns are with the People-of-Ukraine, not the corrupt Gov or Ukraine of the corrupt Gov of Canada/US. And when I say that, I mean we need a negotiated settlement - NOW - before more people die.
Most people in Ukraine speak Russian, (a little less in Kiev) and many associate themselves with Russia, but don't want to be part of Russia. The three regions being fought in should each have a secure monitored vote on their future. Three options; 1. Be part of Ukraine, 2. Be part of Russia or 3. Be independent. My guess is they'd chose option three.
I don't believe this in a winnable war it the true sense of "winning," completely expelling Russian troops, which of course would be ideal, but not realistic. Russia was provoked by the US/Biden/Harris and this war should never have happened. It's time the killing ends! It's time the US/Biden admin stop getting in the way of the settlements that were already agreed to.
And what wasn't discussed in this article is how much money is going into the pockets of very corrupt people, organizations and companies. Many officials in Governments.
From what I’ve read, Zelensky and Putin were ready to sign a treaty to end the war in early winter 2022, but the US sent Boris Johnson to scupper the idea. They want the war to continue.
As for profiting from it, even the lowest civil servants in Ukraine who are supposed to be recruiting for the army are taking so many bribes that they’ve become rich. The wife of one just bought a fancy villa in Spain. Ukraine Oligarchs are similar to Russian ones. They steal everything they can from the people every way they can. They say Zelenskyy and his Generals are quarreling over who gets to keep the largest portion of foreign aid.
Every region in Ukraine already had a referendum in 1991. They voted to be part of Ukraine.
Why should we have another one after Russia has spent the past 9 years committing genocide against and displacing Ukrainians? What kind of referendum is that?
Russia has been clear: they view the Ukrainian nation as a “mistake” that should not exist.
I suggest you read “Generation Z” by Ian Garner. Putin has raised a generation of Russians more steeped in fascism and violence than ever before. Think things are bad now? Just wait.
It is our duty to help Ukraine defend itself - and ourselves - from fascism.
The US had the Monroe Doctrine where no foreign power could set up on their shores. Putin feels the same about NATO being in Ukraine right up against their border. That’s what this is all about.
But if Putin takes over Ukraine, he will then have three *more* NATO countries at his border. Have you thought of that? Will he then be justified in conquering more nations, until there are no more NATO countries left? Think things through. Sounds a bit like "from the river to the see," Europe will be NATO free.
In March 2022, Naftali Bennett from Israel and Erdogan from Turkey attempted to negotiate an agreement between Russia and Ukraine to end the war. They’d almost reached an agreement where Ukraine wouldn’t join NATO when the US and Britain sent Boris Johnson to tell Zelenskyy not to sign.
I suspect Putin is more practical than critics give him credit for. He doesn't particularly care about Ukraine. He just wants a land bridge to Crimea, to make it more defensible and to make it easier to transport goods and military hardware to this dangling appendage. That land bridge happens to be through Ukraine, so he needs to invent an excuse for taking it. "Denazifying" it and wanting to "neutralize" it are just excuses.
Wow what a meaty article, I want to comment on everything but sadly day job prevents my rando thoughts before I go back and click and clack away.
1. Thank you for what you do. Please enjoy the holidays, you deserve the rest. Well worth my substack sub and will be subbing as long as you wish do this. When I went to cancel another paper's subscription because frankly it was making me dumber, I pointed out that substack like yours publish less frequently but worth every minute of the read. Whereas this paper i was canceling, I find myself wanting to bill them for time wasted.
2. As a conservatives, PP doesn't need to swing at every pitch. As you pointed out, in how this would be played, its important for them to realize it.
I subscribe to you Mr Glavin and have high respect for your work.
Ya I’m conservative. Trending to the right side of Atilla.
I believe the Ukrainian war was lost at the get go. I hate war.
The fact is, there was a neutral zone resolution already in place between Russia and Ukraine that Biden rejected. Biden deliberately provoked this proxy war (clearly in my mind) and that demonstrates the corruption and amoral conduct of the Biden administration.
So let’s stop this madness.
Speaking of madness Trugrope has committed 60 million dollars in “ humanitarian aid” to Palestine et al since October 7 2023
Freaking unbelievable!! 60 million dollars.
God help us.
Please stop with this war crap. We need peace and btw when Trump was president there was just that.
SMH.
Come on Terry. Let’s get foreign Influence out of our elections and foreign aid off our pathetic government balance sheet.
And by the way Mr Glavin you can’t point to Ukraine and say bad Putin did it all. With zero attempt at detente provoking a proxy war that btw USA is ill equipped to sustain and Canadas pathetic contributions simply can’t help. Let’s send Ukraine half a dozen tanks. They said. I figure one worked and five were for parts. Leaving Canada either nothing?
If Russia is such a concern why isn’t Canada protecting the Arctic. You do know who is up there, right ? And who isn’t.
Cheers. I can’t leave this war thing alone. You are so concerned about Ukraine and rightly so, without offering a rational no war solution.
But how about the 4000 or so illegal immigrants coming into Pearson on a monthly basis. That’s about 50,000 per year at one airport!!
I agree that the US provoked the war starting in 2014 when the US State Department’s Victoria Nuland helped orchestrate a coup removing the democratically elected leader Viktor Yanukovych and replacing him with a more pro-US president.
I'm no Biden / Harris fan, but to blame *them* for Putin's invasion of a sovereign country involves a strange concept of causation. A woman's dress or smile may be described as "provocative," but we all know what would be said if we blamed her for being sexually assaulted. A four-eyed nerd might "provoke" the playground bully, but we would still blame and condemn the bully for any violence they committed. Likewise with Ukraine and Putin. Biden's / USA's / NATO's alleged "provocation" of Putin is much less persuasive than a sexy dress: it involved taking steps to enter into a defensive alliance - something every sovereign country has the right to do. Do not ever minimize an aggressive invasion by saying it was "provoked." The build-up of offensive military arms on the border is a bit more than "provocation": it is an outright threat. That's Putin.
Thanks for mansplaining. I’m thinking that actively being involved in removing Ukraine’s Russia-friendly President, Viktor Yushchenko as the US did, and replacing him with their guy was a provocation. Hmmm. I wonder why they did that?
Please don't act the progressive girl by playing the "mansplaining" card. It is juvenile, tiresome, and utterly ineffective. It should embarrass you to deploy that tactic, and I don't want to lose all respect for you. Argue the facts. If the analogy is flawed, simply point out the flaw. That's how an adult debate goes.
Of course the USA and Russia each have their favourites when it comes to Ukraine leaders, and as long as one of them is engaged in promoting theirs, the other is liable to engage, too. Who started that game? IDK. It was going on so long, it probably doesn't matter anymore who started it. But losing the game of picking friendly leaders isn't an internationally recognized provocation for all-out war. Putin should try harder to install the leader he wants next time, instead of starting a mass-murdering spree.
Putin said in 2009 that expanding NATO eastward was unacceptable to Russia. Angela Merkle and Nicholas Sarkozy advised against this because they believed Putin would look at it as an act of war. He meant it and that’s why we’re where we are. The US has the Monroe Doctrine where foreign powers weren’t allowed into the Northern and Southern hemisphere. Russia also has the power to demand similar requirements relating to the integrity of its borders.
Oh, "Putin said." Well, then, we must all obey, mustn't we?
Nobody was threatening "the integrity of Russia's borders." Newsflash: It was Russia threatening the integrity of Ukraine's borders. Google 'Budapest Agreement."
You have complete missed the point. Trump made it possible for Putin to start this war in so many ways they are not countable. Biden is gong as far as he can with this because of being held back by Trumpsters in the Congress. It was not a neutral zone. Never was until Putin developed it into what he could call it later — the beginning of an invasion. No wonder Ukraine wants to join NATO. Have you seen all the other SSRs — they all joined NATO as did all of the former Warsaw Pact nations. The former trust Russia and especially with good reason don’t trust Putin.
Hey Grube, sorry, you're off base here. It was Biden and Harris that let this war happen or even made it happen. When Harris proclaimed that Ukraine should immediately join NATO, she/they waved a the red flag in Putin's face. And when Biden said, "well a small incursion wouldn't be bad" (paraphrased) that gave Putin the green light to invade.
This war would not have happened under Trump, but when you say that, you fall right into the hands of the Lib/NDP narrative which allows them to further attempt to bring "Trumpisms" into the CDN political discussion, which is ludicrous.
The Trump mania is alive and well I see. People are dying Ukraine has lost at least 2 million in population from citizens escaping the madness and all you can do is support a war that can’t be won and blame Trump for it
Vacuous at best. Try harder. We need solutions not blame. Peace not war. That’s harder to do than complaining about it.
I refuse to accept war as a solution. Especially when you have lost it.
And if you were Ukrainian you would do what? War is nasty. I have seen much of it. You think they had a choice. They were invaded. What Putin wants for a peace is the virtual dissolution of Ukraine and its subordination back to Russia, from which they were freed in 1993, like so many other nations. That is cowardly behaviour by the west that has allowed it to get this far. Of that there is no doubt.
That part was Ukraine and accepted by Russia and all other players in 1993. To help the rebels and then invade the rest of Ukraine to change the govt (again) is unacceptable. I do know the area. I have been there. You are sadly lacking in non-conspiratorial knowledge of this conflict and its background and have accepted the right wing’s perspective.
Sadly you fall into the trap of assuming anyone who disagrees with you is either a Trump supporter or stupid. The history of Ukraine , which is a massive country bigger than Texas is steeped in conflict, corruption and a significant Russian segment of the population. The corruption is well documented, the conflicts in history have not yet be rewritten or erased, and if you “know the area “ then you must know the war is lost ( no one left to fight) and detente is not far away; ( which should have been the best option. Not a horrible proxy war by egomaniacal politicians. And the western governments have run out of money. Perhaps you should listen to Hungarian officials to get a sense of what Ukraine’s neighbours are saying. All the best Mr Grube. PS the war will end. I’ll be here to remind you who lost.
Somebody important needs to warn the pro-Hamas faction in no uncertain terms that the more they chant "from the river to the sea," the more probable a one-state solution becomes - only it won't be the one state they want. Israel isn't going anywhere.
Thanks Terry for providing the digression on the “China Cloud” and the west coast boat-building legacy of the Farrell family. I’m a steam-and-diesel (ie not sail) sailor, but I’ve lots of experience plying their waters and surely encountered some of them. “China Cloud’s” distinctive lines are not familiar, but I was drawn back to main article to seek solace admiring them several times as I read the off-kilter thrust of the majority of the comments (so far) that are setting my hair on fire. I’m a small-c conservative who is concerned that the big-C folks look to be playing footsie with the Tucker Carlson Klan, and am desperately hoping that MP Majumdar indeed does have some sway in anchoring some sanity to their foreign policy development.
We may not always agree with you Terry but we respect the fact that you only say what you believe. That’s the best a journalist can give his readers. Have a pleasant holiday
Thank you for this piece, Terry. You and Shuv are right on the money! He sounds like a good bloke.
I can’t help but feel that Tucker et. al’s claims that Russia was “provoked” somehow into waging a genocidal war of conquest on Ukraine are not unlike the claims that the Hamas pogrom of October 7 is similarly “justified.”
RE "Carlson is that Trump enthusiast fired by Fox News for making false claims about election fraud that resulted in a defamation suit by Dominion Voting Systems that cost Fox $787.5 million. " Terry, the 2020 presidential election WAS stolen from Trump. I suggest you watch Dinesh D'Souza's "2000 Mules" for some truth. Other than that, you've given us another fine column -- thanks!
I wouldn't go quite as far as you in asserting that the election WAS stolen; but there is a mountain of evidence of all kinds - statistical improbabilities, video evidence, eye-witness testimony, extremely lax oversight and verification practices, vote harvesting, etc. - that raise serious suspicions. (Accusing Dominion Voting Systems was possibly the least intelligent approach to making the case.)
The biggest travesty is than none of the prima facie plausible allegations of voter fraud was ever properly pursued by "journalists" or law-enforcement or legislators. You get the impression that everyone *knew* the elections was stolen, but they didn't want to open a can of worms for one reason or another (they hated Trump being the main reason; fear of chaos being another). I have no idea whether "2000 Mules" is correct, but I have yet to see a credible debunking of the main thesis or evidence presented.
Hello Grant, I thought your phrase "there is a mountain of evidence of all kinds - statistical improbabilities, video evidence, eye-witness testimony, extremely lax oversight and verification practices, vote harvesting, etc. - that raise serious suspicions. " was very well-phrased. THanks for commenting.
Given the outrage among Democrats after Trump won in 2016, including Christian Amanpour who stated that journalists could no longer be objective when reporting on him, what are the odds that they didn’t cook the election results books so to speak?
Mark Zuckerberg and his drop boxes where D’Souza’s film shows the same ‘mule’ dropping multiple ballots in boxes all over the city is just one example.
You mean bullies like the US that according to historians Christopher Kelly and Stuart Laycock has been involved militarily with every country on the planet but three: Andorra, Bhutan and Liechtenstein?
There's a lot of hypocrisy where USA interventionism is concerned. Nobody wants the USA to be the world's policeman, until they elect a president who is slightly more isolationist...
The USA is guilty of a lot of meddling, for sure. A lot of it is regrettable, even to Americans. But in a world where Russia and China and Iran are happy to meddle, do we really want to put the handcuffs on the USA? It's complicated.
My observation of Tucker Carlson is that after attorney Sidney Powell made election fraud claims on his show that she was unable to back up, he told his viewers to ignore them. He wrote emails to his colleagues saying that he didn’t believe the election was fraudulent. However, some think he was fired because as well as criticizing the establishment, he spoke out against the Ukraine War. He says Fox didn’t specify why they fired him. I suppose we’ll never know the real reason. Carlson was interviewed on the Glenn Greenwald show last week and said that being fired was the best thing that happened to him. He’s starting his own show.
Throwing more borrowed money at Ukraine won't end the war and we certainly won't be putting Canadian boots on the ground (😆). Beyond more verbal platitudes from a government that has lost every shred of credibility and respect internationally, what does "support for Ukraine" look like to you Terry? Mr. Majumder is correct in everything he says, but what's next? Let's deal with the ghastly situation at home first, AFAIK. Canada didn't create the problems in Europe, so let the Europeans shoulder the burden.
What I fear most about capitulation to Putin is the encouragement it gives to other tyrants to invade their neighbours. Taiwan surely would be the next to fall. Having studied the flaws in utilitarian reasoning for decades, I stand on principle as much as possible, and the principle against invading a peaceful sovereign country is about as sound as they come in international relations.
Prof John Mearsheimer gives a 2 hour lecture on the history of this war at the Robert Schumann Center. He goes into Putin’s reasons for the invasion of Ukraine. It’s worth watching on YouTube.
One more comment you made which can easily be missed given the length and topic of the article...
"plotting out their unlimited ambition, they put a declaration out about our Canadian Arctic"
This is of such massive importance and yet barely talked about in Canada. Canada must fast-track our ability to get oil and gas to Europe using emergency measures, with a full plan to secure our North and all the borders and oceans included!
And I assume you mean after a change in government because these guys will never see the business case.
Yes, a change in Gov is needed ASAP. Canada has lost on Billions of $ in revenue and the opportunity to enrich the future of the Country by turning away Germany and Japan for the supply of Nat Gas and oil. The stupidity and lack of savvy is astounding.
Maybe that is why China is burning all that coal and speeding up climate change, so the north will melt, and invasion will be that much easier.
After Alexandre Bissonnette went on a shooting rampage in a mosque in Quebec, ever single french-Canadian elected official in Quebec had a moral obligation to publicly denounce the atrocity unequivocally, sending a strong and unified message that any degree of anti-Muslim intolerance and bigotry is not accepted in french-Canadian culture. Thankfully, essentially every french-Canadian elected official rose to the occasion (and many others besides). Likewise when Nathaniel Veltman mowed down a Muslim family with his car in London, Ontario - official denunciations and public programs to combat the bigotry that underlies these atrocities are called for.
By the same token, after Hamas massacred hundreds of innocent Israelis on October 7th in the most barbaric manner, every single Muslim elected official in Canada had a moral obligation to publicly denounce that atrocity unequivocally, sending a strong and unified message that any degree of Jew-hatred is not accepted in our culture. Sadly, the Hamas caucus of the Liberal-NDP coalition government has been conspicuously derelict in their duty to uphold Canadian values and push back against the outpouring of Jew-hatred and intimidation that has blemished every Canadian city and university (!) practically every day since.
And the entire non-Muslim Liberal-NDP caucus is perfectly comfortable with that dereliction of duty. Not a single defection to date.
Thanks for bringing in Shuvaloy Majumder to explain the Conservative position on the Ukraine package. It helps. For you, Mr. Glavin, may you take the time to find some peace and joy for yourself at this time of year. You’ve earned it.
"Stand with Ukraine" is a bit of a red flag in my opinion. Having been to and through Ukraine in 2019 and being of Ukrainian decent, my thoughts and concerns are with the People-of-Ukraine, not the corrupt Gov or Ukraine of the corrupt Gov of Canada/US. And when I say that, I mean we need a negotiated settlement - NOW - before more people die.
Most people in Ukraine speak Russian, (a little less in Kiev) and many associate themselves with Russia, but don't want to be part of Russia. The three regions being fought in should each have a secure monitored vote on their future. Three options; 1. Be part of Ukraine, 2. Be part of Russia or 3. Be independent. My guess is they'd chose option three.
I don't believe this in a winnable war it the true sense of "winning," completely expelling Russian troops, which of course would be ideal, but not realistic. Russia was provoked by the US/Biden/Harris and this war should never have happened. It's time the killing ends! It's time the US/Biden admin stop getting in the way of the settlements that were already agreed to.
And what wasn't discussed in this article is how much money is going into the pockets of very corrupt people, organizations and companies. Many officials in Governments.
From what I’ve read, Zelensky and Putin were ready to sign a treaty to end the war in early winter 2022, but the US sent Boris Johnson to scupper the idea. They want the war to continue.
As for profiting from it, even the lowest civil servants in Ukraine who are supposed to be recruiting for the army are taking so many bribes that they’ve become rich. The wife of one just bought a fancy villa in Spain. Ukraine Oligarchs are similar to Russian ones. They steal everything they can from the people every way they can. They say Zelenskyy and his Generals are quarreling over who gets to keep the largest portion of foreign aid.
Yes, I agree re the money funneling. My readings tell the first peace proposal was in June of 2022.
Every region in Ukraine already had a referendum in 1991. They voted to be part of Ukraine.
Why should we have another one after Russia has spent the past 9 years committing genocide against and displacing Ukrainians? What kind of referendum is that?
Russia has been clear: they view the Ukrainian nation as a “mistake” that should not exist.
I suggest you read “Generation Z” by Ian Garner. Putin has raised a generation of Russians more steeped in fascism and violence than ever before. Think things are bad now? Just wait.
It is our duty to help Ukraine defend itself - and ourselves - from fascism.
It’s the right thing for Russia, too.
The US had the Monroe Doctrine where no foreign power could set up on their shores. Putin feels the same about NATO being in Ukraine right up against their border. That’s what this is all about.
But if Putin takes over Ukraine, he will then have three *more* NATO countries at his border. Have you thought of that? Will he then be justified in conquering more nations, until there are no more NATO countries left? Think things through. Sounds a bit like "from the river to the see," Europe will be NATO free.
In March 2022, Naftali Bennett from Israel and Erdogan from Turkey attempted to negotiate an agreement between Russia and Ukraine to end the war. They’d almost reached an agreement where Ukraine wouldn’t join NATO when the US and Britain sent Boris Johnson to tell Zelenskyy not to sign.
They say he doesn’t want Ukraine. Instead he wants it to be neutral.
I suspect Putin is more practical than critics give him credit for. He doesn't particularly care about Ukraine. He just wants a land bridge to Crimea, to make it more defensible and to make it easier to transport goods and military hardware to this dangling appendage. That land bridge happens to be through Ukraine, so he needs to invent an excuse for taking it. "Denazifying" it and wanting to "neutralize" it are just excuses.
Also, sovereign countries are permitted to form defensive alliances. This is not generally recognized internationally as a "provocation."
Wow what a meaty article, I want to comment on everything but sadly day job prevents my rando thoughts before I go back and click and clack away.
1. Thank you for what you do. Please enjoy the holidays, you deserve the rest. Well worth my substack sub and will be subbing as long as you wish do this. When I went to cancel another paper's subscription because frankly it was making me dumber, I pointed out that substack like yours publish less frequently but worth every minute of the read. Whereas this paper i was canceling, I find myself wanting to bill them for time wasted.
2. As a conservatives, PP doesn't need to swing at every pitch. As you pointed out, in how this would be played, its important for them to realize it.
I subscribe to you Mr Glavin and have high respect for your work.
Ya I’m conservative. Trending to the right side of Atilla.
I believe the Ukrainian war was lost at the get go. I hate war.
The fact is, there was a neutral zone resolution already in place between Russia and Ukraine that Biden rejected. Biden deliberately provoked this proxy war (clearly in my mind) and that demonstrates the corruption and amoral conduct of the Biden administration.
So let’s stop this madness.
Speaking of madness Trugrope has committed 60 million dollars in “ humanitarian aid” to Palestine et al since October 7 2023
Freaking unbelievable!! 60 million dollars.
God help us.
Please stop with this war crap. We need peace and btw when Trump was president there was just that.
SMH.
Come on Terry. Let’s get foreign Influence out of our elections and foreign aid off our pathetic government balance sheet.
Canadians are hurting big time.
Usual disclaimers.
John Powell
Blackstock
And by the way Mr Glavin you can’t point to Ukraine and say bad Putin did it all. With zero attempt at detente provoking a proxy war that btw USA is ill equipped to sustain and Canadas pathetic contributions simply can’t help. Let’s send Ukraine half a dozen tanks. They said. I figure one worked and five were for parts. Leaving Canada either nothing?
If Russia is such a concern why isn’t Canada protecting the Arctic. You do know who is up there, right ? And who isn’t.
Cheers. I can’t leave this war thing alone. You are so concerned about Ukraine and rightly so, without offering a rational no war solution.
But how about the 4000 or so illegal immigrants coming into Pearson on a monthly basis. That’s about 50,000 per year at one airport!!
Help!
I agree that the US provoked the war starting in 2014 when the US State Department’s Victoria Nuland helped orchestrate a coup removing the democratically elected leader Viktor Yanukovych and replacing him with a more pro-US president.
I'm no Biden / Harris fan, but to blame *them* for Putin's invasion of a sovereign country involves a strange concept of causation. A woman's dress or smile may be described as "provocative," but we all know what would be said if we blamed her for being sexually assaulted. A four-eyed nerd might "provoke" the playground bully, but we would still blame and condemn the bully for any violence they committed. Likewise with Ukraine and Putin. Biden's / USA's / NATO's alleged "provocation" of Putin is much less persuasive than a sexy dress: it involved taking steps to enter into a defensive alliance - something every sovereign country has the right to do. Do not ever minimize an aggressive invasion by saying it was "provoked." The build-up of offensive military arms on the border is a bit more than "provocation": it is an outright threat. That's Putin.
Thanks for mansplaining. I’m thinking that actively being involved in removing Ukraine’s Russia-friendly President, Viktor Yushchenko as the US did, and replacing him with their guy was a provocation. Hmmm. I wonder why they did that?
Please don't act the progressive girl by playing the "mansplaining" card. It is juvenile, tiresome, and utterly ineffective. It should embarrass you to deploy that tactic, and I don't want to lose all respect for you. Argue the facts. If the analogy is flawed, simply point out the flaw. That's how an adult debate goes.
Of course the USA and Russia each have their favourites when it comes to Ukraine leaders, and as long as one of them is engaged in promoting theirs, the other is liable to engage, too. Who started that game? IDK. It was going on so long, it probably doesn't matter anymore who started it. But losing the game of picking friendly leaders isn't an internationally recognized provocation for all-out war. Putin should try harder to install the leader he wants next time, instead of starting a mass-murdering spree.
Putin said in 2009 that expanding NATO eastward was unacceptable to Russia. Angela Merkle and Nicholas Sarkozy advised against this because they believed Putin would look at it as an act of war. He meant it and that’s why we’re where we are. The US has the Monroe Doctrine where foreign powers weren’t allowed into the Northern and Southern hemisphere. Russia also has the power to demand similar requirements relating to the integrity of its borders.
Oh, "Putin said." Well, then, we must all obey, mustn't we?
Nobody was threatening "the integrity of Russia's borders." Newsflash: It was Russia threatening the integrity of Ukraine's borders. Google 'Budapest Agreement."
Then don’t mansplain. It’s unnecessary.
It's an analogy. It's not "necessary," but it is helpful. There is a several millennium tradition of arguing by analogy.
But just so that I don't fall afoul of your arbitrary rules of conversation in the future, define 'mansplain'.
You have complete missed the point. Trump made it possible for Putin to start this war in so many ways they are not countable. Biden is gong as far as he can with this because of being held back by Trumpsters in the Congress. It was not a neutral zone. Never was until Putin developed it into what he could call it later — the beginning of an invasion. No wonder Ukraine wants to join NATO. Have you seen all the other SSRs — they all joined NATO as did all of the former Warsaw Pact nations. The former trust Russia and especially with good reason don’t trust Putin.
Hey Grube, sorry, you're off base here. It was Biden and Harris that let this war happen or even made it happen. When Harris proclaimed that Ukraine should immediately join NATO, she/they waved a the red flag in Putin's face. And when Biden said, "well a small incursion wouldn't be bad" (paraphrased) that gave Putin the green light to invade.
This war would not have happened under Trump, but when you say that, you fall right into the hands of the Lib/NDP narrative which allows them to further attempt to bring "Trumpisms" into the CDN political discussion, which is ludicrous.
The Trump mania is alive and well I see. People are dying Ukraine has lost at least 2 million in population from citizens escaping the madness and all you can do is support a war that can’t be won and blame Trump for it
Vacuous at best. Try harder. We need solutions not blame. Peace not war. That’s harder to do than complaining about it.
I refuse to accept war as a solution. Especially when you have lost it.
CBC had over 5,000 articles just on Trump and ‘Russia’.
And if you were Ukrainian you would do what? War is nasty. I have seen much of it. You think they had a choice. They were invaded. What Putin wants for a peace is the virtual dissolution of Ukraine and its subordination back to Russia, from which they were freed in 1993, like so many other nations. That is cowardly behaviour by the west that has allowed it to get this far. Of that there is no doubt.
Ridiculous second comment Mr Grube. 2 million left. Much of the eastern Donbas region is Russian anyway. Look at geography and history of the region .
That part was Ukraine and accepted by Russia and all other players in 1993. To help the rebels and then invade the rest of Ukraine to change the govt (again) is unacceptable. I do know the area. I have been there. You are sadly lacking in non-conspiratorial knowledge of this conflict and its background and have accepted the right wing’s perspective.
Sadly you fall into the trap of assuming anyone who disagrees with you is either a Trump supporter or stupid. The history of Ukraine , which is a massive country bigger than Texas is steeped in conflict, corruption and a significant Russian segment of the population. The corruption is well documented, the conflicts in history have not yet be rewritten or erased, and if you “know the area “ then you must know the war is lost ( no one left to fight) and detente is not far away; ( which should have been the best option. Not a horrible proxy war by egomaniacal politicians. And the western governments have run out of money. Perhaps you should listen to Hungarian officials to get a sense of what Ukraine’s neighbours are saying. All the best Mr Grube. PS the war will end. I’ll be here to remind you who lost.
Somebody important needs to warn the pro-Hamas faction in no uncertain terms that the more they chant "from the river to the sea," the more probable a one-state solution becomes - only it won't be the one state they want. Israel isn't going anywhere.
Thanks Terry for providing the digression on the “China Cloud” and the west coast boat-building legacy of the Farrell family. I’m a steam-and-diesel (ie not sail) sailor, but I’ve lots of experience plying their waters and surely encountered some of them. “China Cloud’s” distinctive lines are not familiar, but I was drawn back to main article to seek solace admiring them several times as I read the off-kilter thrust of the majority of the comments (so far) that are setting my hair on fire. I’m a small-c conservative who is concerned that the big-C folks look to be playing footsie with the Tucker Carlson Klan, and am desperately hoping that MP Majumdar indeed does have some sway in anchoring some sanity to their foreign policy development.
We may not always agree with you Terry but we respect the fact that you only say what you believe. That’s the best a journalist can give his readers. Have a pleasant holiday
Happy Christmas Terry!
God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all. 1John1;5
Stay close to the light!
Thank you for this piece, Terry. You and Shuv are right on the money! He sounds like a good bloke.
I can’t help but feel that Tucker et. al’s claims that Russia was “provoked” somehow into waging a genocidal war of conquest on Ukraine are not unlike the claims that the Hamas pogrom of October 7 is similarly “justified.”
Appalling.
RE "Carlson is that Trump enthusiast fired by Fox News for making false claims about election fraud that resulted in a defamation suit by Dominion Voting Systems that cost Fox $787.5 million. " Terry, the 2020 presidential election WAS stolen from Trump. I suggest you watch Dinesh D'Souza's "2000 Mules" for some truth. Other than that, you've given us another fine column -- thanks!
I wouldn't go quite as far as you in asserting that the election WAS stolen; but there is a mountain of evidence of all kinds - statistical improbabilities, video evidence, eye-witness testimony, extremely lax oversight and verification practices, vote harvesting, etc. - that raise serious suspicions. (Accusing Dominion Voting Systems was possibly the least intelligent approach to making the case.)
The biggest travesty is than none of the prima facie plausible allegations of voter fraud was ever properly pursued by "journalists" or law-enforcement or legislators. You get the impression that everyone *knew* the elections was stolen, but they didn't want to open a can of worms for one reason or another (they hated Trump being the main reason; fear of chaos being another). I have no idea whether "2000 Mules" is correct, but I have yet to see a credible debunking of the main thesis or evidence presented.
Hello Grant, I thought your phrase "there is a mountain of evidence of all kinds - statistical improbabilities, video evidence, eye-witness testimony, extremely lax oversight and verification practices, vote harvesting, etc. - that raise serious suspicions. " was very well-phrased. THanks for commenting.
Given the outrage among Democrats after Trump won in 2016, including Christian Amanpour who stated that journalists could no longer be objective when reporting on him, what are the odds that they didn’t cook the election results books so to speak?
Mark Zuckerberg and his drop boxes where D’Souza’s film shows the same ‘mule’ dropping multiple ballots in boxes all over the city is just one example.
We should support Ukraine againat Putin's aggression.
If we don't stop Putin then bully agressors will be encouraged to invade other places.
It's not just about Ukraine but also about future aggressions by others.
Like 1930's Europe, aggression must be stopped now or there will be more aggression, with drastic consequences.
You mean bullies like the US that according to historians Christopher Kelly and Stuart Laycock has been involved militarily with every country on the planet but three: Andorra, Bhutan and Liechtenstein?
There's a lot of hypocrisy where USA interventionism is concerned. Nobody wants the USA to be the world's policeman, until they elect a president who is slightly more isolationist...
The USA is guilty of a lot of meddling, for sure. A lot of it is regrettable, even to Americans. But in a world where Russia and China and Iran are happy to meddle, do we really want to put the handcuffs on the USA? It's complicated.
My observation of Tucker Carlson is that after attorney Sidney Powell made election fraud claims on his show that she was unable to back up, he told his viewers to ignore them. He wrote emails to his colleagues saying that he didn’t believe the election was fraudulent. However, some think he was fired because as well as criticizing the establishment, he spoke out against the Ukraine War. He says Fox didn’t specify why they fired him. I suppose we’ll never know the real reason. Carlson was interviewed on the Glenn Greenwald show last week and said that being fired was the best thing that happened to him. He’s starting his own show.
True this. Tucker is doing well.
Throwing more borrowed money at Ukraine won't end the war and we certainly won't be putting Canadian boots on the ground (😆). Beyond more verbal platitudes from a government that has lost every shred of credibility and respect internationally, what does "support for Ukraine" look like to you Terry? Mr. Majumder is correct in everything he says, but what's next? Let's deal with the ghastly situation at home first, AFAIK. Canada didn't create the problems in Europe, so let the Europeans shoulder the burden.
What I fear most about capitulation to Putin is the encouragement it gives to other tyrants to invade their neighbours. Taiwan surely would be the next to fall. Having studied the flaws in utilitarian reasoning for decades, I stand on principle as much as possible, and the principle against invading a peaceful sovereign country is about as sound as they come in international relations.
Prof John Mearsheimer gives a 2 hour lecture on the history of this war at the Robert Schumann Center. He goes into Putin’s reasons for the invasion of Ukraine. It’s worth watching on YouTube.