Canada eyeing Russian sanctions

Canada is threatening sanctions against Russia if it decides to interfere with the ongoing situation in Ukraine. And a lot has happened there over the weekend. A new Interim President was named — after former President Viktor Yanukovych was ousted. Yanukovych is now wanted for the mass murder of dozens of anti-government protesters. The uprising began when Yanukovych turned down a trade deal with the European Union in favour of closer ties with Russia – which is Ukraine’s biggest trading partner.

Professor John Colarusso, an expert in the region at McMaster University said Russia sees Ukraine as essential to its security whereas most Ukranians want a more European type of life, and don’t care about Russia’s dreams. It was the trade deal Russia offered that started the problem.

“They upped the ante in the gamble. They made the choice for Ukraine exclusionary. Either EU or Russia, not both. If they had been more flexible, this never would have happened.”

Professor Colarusso says Viktor Yanukovych had to flee the country when he did. His military had stopped listening to him. “He really had no choice, he killed enough people in the last round of sniper fire.”

The former President may seek asylum in Russia which has already denounced the interim government.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s acting President says campaigning for the top post begins now. U.S. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said. “We do believe that parliament has lawfully elected its new speaker and we support getting the situation under controls in terms of law and order and in ensuring that the institutions of government are working.”

Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev says it’s important Ukraine stays together. “It would be wrong to tear Ukraine apart. It would be wrong to engage in this struggle for domination so at this time NATO should be in the European Union and there should be no domination and no one should claim domination over Ukraine.”

Colarusso says. “This could be the start of a real polarization between Russia and the rest of the world. The irony is it happened while Sochi was going on.”

He says what Russia might do is try to sever the Eastern Crimean Region off and take it back into Russia, where it once was. It’s the most industrialized part of Ukraine, it’s where Russia uses a crucial waterway — and it’s where people are more ideologically like the Russians.

The federal Liberals say a couple of Harper cabinet minister are trying to take advantage of comments by Justin Trudeau for cheap partisan reasons.  Trudeau told a humour-infused current events program on Radio-Canada — the situation in Ukraine is very worrisome and that he is afraid of a Russian intervention because the country lost in Olympic hockey and will be in a bad mood. When the show host asked “only because of hockey?”, Trudeau replied “No. It is an attempt to bring a light view of a situation that is extremely serious.” But the Tories say Trudeau thinks the deadly crisis in Ukraine is a laughing matter.

The NDP is weighing in on this one as well by posting Trudeau’s comments on YouTube.