Harper and Merkel stand together on Putin, split on Russia's role in G8
Berlin — The Globe and Mail
Published
Stephen Harper and his German counterpart Angela Merkel cemented their resolve to stand up to Vladimir Putin during a meeting in Berlin, but the Group of Seven’s two most senior members offered markedly different views on the prospects for future relations with Russia.
Mr. Harper, speaking at a joint news conference with the German Chancellor, said he thinks it would be very difficult for Russia to rejoin the Group of Eight under Mr. Putin.
The Prime Minister said he believes that Russians, and in particular the younger generation of Russians, share the values of the West and want to be partners. He said the view of most Western powers is that they will some day have “common interests and the projection of common values on the international scene.”
The problem, he said, is the current President of Russia.
“The difficulty, of course, is that, notwithstanding all of our efforts to make Mr. Putin a partner, he has not desired to be a partner. He has desired to be a rival,” Mr. Harper told reporters at a news conference with Ms. Merkel.
“That is just the reality we have to come to terms with,” the Prime Minister said, adding later that Mr. Putin “has created a rivalry instead of a partnership.”
Ms. Merkel, the chief intermediary for the West with Mr. Putin – she can speak Russian and he can speak German – sounded more sanguine on prospects for resolving the conflict over Crimea.
“I am quite relaxed – let’s put it that way,” she told reporters.
While Ms. Merkel has agreed to present a united front with Canada and other allies on the resolve to impose sanctions should Russia escalate the crisis, she offered a more measured take on prospects for winding down the conflict over Crimea.
She is holding out hope that the West’s warning of sanctions could by itself make a difference.
“We’re trying through talks and also through announcing what we’re going to do, we’re trying to win the other side over to pursue a course where it is allowed [for] Ukraine to take its own sovereign political decisions,” the German Chancellor told reporters.
Mr. Harper’s comments were echoed in Ottawa by Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird, who invoked the legacy of former prime minister John Diefenbaker to back up his government’s approach to the crisis in Ukraine. Mr. Diefenbaker was “on the right side” of history when he fought back against Soviet communism, Mr. Baird said, adding that the former Canadian leader stood for the kind of principled values that today’s Conservative government is working to promote abroad.
Mr. Baird also said he plans to travel to Moldova next week to show Canada’s support for the former Soviet state, which is wedged between Ukraine and Romania. Moldova’s government has expressed fear that the separatist region of Trans-Dniester could be annexed by Russia.
Germany’s reluctance to write off Mr. Putin may be related to its stronger dependence on Russia. Ms. Merkel said Germany depends on Russia for 35 per cent of its natural gas needs. She’s also facing pressure from big German businesses to avoid a confrontation with Russia. The CEO of Siemens this week met with Mr. Putin in Moscow and pledged a long-term commitment to investing there.
Mr. Harper is on the last day of a European trip that began with a visit to Kiev to show support for the beleaguered Ukrainian government and continued in The Hague where G7 leaders announced they had cut Russia from their coalition of industrial powers over its illegal annexation of Crimea.
Mr. Harper said he feels Mr. Putin would have to thoroughly overhaul his approach to foreign affairs before coming back to the G8.
“Personally, and I only speak for Canada here, I don’t see any way of a return of Mr. Putin to the table unless Russia fundamentally changes course on its orientation towards the world,” he said.
Ms. Merkel was more open to Russia returning to the G8. “The G8 can only happen if there is a certain, conducive atmosphere and part of that … is a common understanding of international law and shared value.”
Ms. Merkel said she hopes “we don’t need” more sanctions against Russia and spoke in reassuring tones about what she’s asking of Moscow in terms of ending its interference in Kiev’s affairs.
“It is not as if all of these decisions need to be against Russia but that Ukraine is in position to make its own decisions: For example, free and fair elections, elect a president … and to pursue trade and economic links with all of those partners they wish to have,” Ms. Merkel said.
“This is a very simple demand and a very clear demand.”
The crisis in Ukraine began last fall when the country’s pro-Russian president balked at deal forging greater political and trade ties with the European Union and instead accepted a bailout from Moscow. Months of ensuing demonstrations and clashes led to Viktor Yanukovych fleeing the country and Russia’s seizure and annexation of Crimea.
Mr. Harper flies back to Canada on Friday.
With a report from Kim Mackrael in Ottawa
Commentary by the Ottawa Mens Centre
Canadian Justice system and should be fixing those up before preaching
to other countries.
I would ask that Russia issue visa
bans to the following public officials who are blatantly criminally
corrupt and the Attorney General of Ontario has failed to act. The
Attorney General of Canada, Peter McKay has yet to show any interest.
1. Vikii Bair is an Ottawa Prosecutor who earns $200,000 a year with perhaps the worst record in Canada for abusing the process of courts, knowingly prosecuting the innocent and NOT prosecuting her friends and associates who refuses to
prosecute or drops charges against her friends.
Recently Vikii Bair
stayed charges against one of Ottawa's most notorious lawyers with 30
years of experience for perjury in swearing and filing an affidavit of
service when he had not served the documents. Every man and his dog in
the Ottawa legal community knows he habitually swears and files perjured
affidavits of service but the Ottawa Police and the entire Ottawa Legal
community do absolutely nothing..
2. Marguerite Isobel Lewis
is going to be of some interest to Russian Authorities. She is a lawyer
for the Children's Aid Society of Ottawa and personally fabricates
evidence to keep children unnecessarily incarcerated in their system
which earns them around $266,000 per child year. The FSB, the Russian
Federal Security Service should note that she has committed child abuse
crimes against Russian children.
3. Tracy Engleking is the "lead"
lawyer at the Children's Aid Society of Ottawa. She has illegally and
improperly obtained orders without a hearing, and committed the crime in
Canada of "Obstructing Justice". The FSB , the Russian Federal
Security Service should note that Tracy Engleking's crime was to abuse
Russian children.
4. Phillip Hiltz-Laforge is a Child Protection
Worker for the Children's Aid Society of Ottawa who has committed
criminal offenses of fabricating evidence and obstructed justice
involving Russian Children.
5. Ottawa Police Detective Peter Van
Der Zander has committed criminal offenses of Fabricating Evidence and
Obstructing Justice to abuse Russian Children.
The above
criminals are protected by corrupt Ottawa Prosecutors and corrupt Police
from any criminal charges. These are very serious offenses of what the
American Justice system calls "Crimes of Moral Turpitude" and as such
these unconvicted criminals should not be permitted to enter any
foreign country.
Full details and copies of certified documents
will be provided upon request to any foreign Police or security service.
Email Info@OttawaMensCentre.com or telephone (613) 797-3237
www.OttawaMensCentre.com
Russian Translation of previous Post
Премьер-министр Канады Стивен Харпер имеет серьезные проблемы
коррупции , чтобы иметь дело с в системе юстиции Канады и должны быть
крепежные тех, перед проповедью
в другие страны.
Я хотел бы спросить , что Россия вопросом путешествия или Visa запрещает к следующим государственных должностных лиц , которые откровенно преступным коррумпированной и генеральный прокурор Онтарио не в состоянии действовать . Генеральный прокурор Канады Питер Маккей еще не проявляет никакого интереса .
1 . Vikii Баир является Оттава прокурор с, пожалуй, худший результат в
Канада за злоупотребление процесс судов , сознательно преследования
невинным и НЕ преследования своих друзей и единомышленников , который отказывается судебное преследование или падает обвинения против ее друзей .
Недавно Vikii Баир остались обвинения против одного из самых печально известных юристов Оттавы с 30 лет опыта за дачу ложных показаний в ругань и подачи под присягой служба , когда он не служил документы . Каждый человек и его собака в правовое сообщество Оттава знает, что он обычно ругается и файлы ложные показания письменные показания обслуживание, но Оттава Полиция и вся Оттава Юридическая
сообщество абсолютно ничего не делать .
2 . Маргарита Изобель Льюис будет представлять некоторый интерес для российских властей . Она является адвокатом для Детской Общества помощи Оттавы и лично изготавливает доказательств , чтобы их дети излишне в заключении в их системе которая зарабатывает их по $ 266 000 на одного ребенка год. ФСБ, Русский Федеральная служба безопасности следует отметить, что она совершила жестокое обращение с детьми
преступления против российских детей .
3 . Трейси Engleking является " ведущим " Адвокат в Детской Общества помощи Оттавы. У нее есть незаконно и неправильно получены заказы без проведения слушания , и совершил преступление в Канада из " воспрепятствование осуществлению правосудия " .
ФСБ, России Федеральная Служба безопасности следует отметить, что преступление Трейси Engleking был злоупотреблять Русские дети .
Полная информация и копии документов, заверенных
будет предоставляться по запросу любому иностранному полиции или службы безопасности.
E-mail Info@OttawaMensCentre.com или по телефону (613) 797-3237
www.OttawaMensCentre.com