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China tells U.S. they’re also not a big fan of the Ukraine war

Publishing date:

Mar 21, 2022 • 51 minutes ago • 5 minute read • 5 Comments

A Canadian Pacific Railway locomotive at a rail yard in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, on Sunday, March 20, 2022. Canadian Pacific Railway entered a work stoppage early Sunday after the company and the union’s leadership were unable to negotiate a settlement or agree to binding arbitration. Photo by Photographer: Gavin John/Bloomberg

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Since Russian combat boots set foot in Ukraine, concern over Canada’s Arctic sovereignty has reached a fever pitch. We share a land border with Russia in Canada’s far north, and it’s not beyond the pale to assume Putin may eventually turn his sights on exploiting resources and natural riches made more accessible every year by climate change.

With the world’s attention firmly on Russia, China wants U.S. President Joe Biden — and presumably the world at large — to know they don’t condone President Putin’s actions. Details of Friday’s two-hour call released by China’s state-run Xinhua news agency suggests Chinese President Xi Jinping told Biden the Ukraine invasion “isn’t what we want to see,” and “conflicts and confrontations are not in anyone’s interest.” American officials have warned China against offering Russia assistance — either financial or military — as international sanctions continue to punish the Putin regime. The White House only described the call as “focused on Ukraine.”

As world supply chains continue to reel, now probably isn’t the best time for Canada’s second largest railway to park its locomotives. But with Canadian Pacific promising to lock out nearly 3,000 conductors, yardmen and locomotive engineers on Sunday, calls are increasing for Ottawa to table back-to-work legislation — or even declare railroad running trades an “essential service.” Western Canada’s agriculture industry, much to their chagrin, rely on the railroad to stay in business — not to mention the nearly 10 daily trainloads of animal feed to bolster drought-ravaged prairie ranchers.

With oil exports again high on the mind of Canadians, more than half of Quebeckers polled by Ipsos want their province to be less reliant on imported energy — relying instead on domestically produced oil and gas. Canada announced a comprehensive ban on Russian oil imports shortly after the Ukrainian invasion, even though it’s been years since we’ve purchased their oil.

Shoppers strolling by a shuttered Moscow McDonald’s earlier this week probably won’t have to wait long to address their next Big Mac attack. Russian state news outlet RIA Nvosoti, as well as numerous social media users, reported “business as usual” at many closed Golden Arches — courtesy of independent franchisees defying shutdown orders from head office. Photo by AFP/Getty Images

WAR IN UKRAINE

If you’re upset at missing out on watching little-known actor Volodymyr Zelenskyy portray a high school teacher who becomes President of Ukraine, you’re in for a treat. Netflix announced Friday they’re bringing the political satire comedy Servant of the People back to its online streaming platform. Zelenskyy, in the role he was apparently born to play, was cast as absent-minded high school history teacher Vasyl Goloborodko, who finds himself elected to Ukraine’s highest office after a student uploads a classroom rant about government corruption to YouTube. The show’s three-season run was cut short after Zelenskyy’s real-life election win over former president Petro Poroshenko.

As Ukraine deals with Europe’s biggest invasion since the Second World War, NATO members are working hard to ensure the conflict doesn’t turn into the Third World War. With Russian missile strikes straying ever closer to NATO’s frontier — one coming within 20 kilometres of Poland’s border last weekend — partner nations of the long-standing alliance fear they may be pulled into the conflict if an attack, intentional or not, strays beyond Ukraine’s borders.

And while NATO falls over itself to avoid wading into the deep end of the Ukraine conflict, a new report by the Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency says the chance of Putin invoking the nuclear option is growing as his position weakens. With the invasion taking a much harder toll on Russian troops and resources than almost anybody predicted, the 67-page report suggests the Russian leader will become increasingly tempted to turn to his nuclear arsenal — the world’s largest — as a means to strengthen his position and project strength to the west. Russia’s nuclear forces were put on high alert shortly after the invasion began last month.

High gas prices got you down? Just don’t drive so much. That’s the advice handed down Friday by the Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA) in response to the spike in energy prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The IEA’s 10-point plan includes lowering of speed limits, cities enforcing car-free days, working from home and other suggestions sure to land with a resounding thud in car-centric North America.

While tens of thousands at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium drank in every word of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s speech on Friday, those hoping to watch the address on state television instead saw his remarks justifying his invasion of Ukraine interrupted by what officials described as a “technical glitch.” Officials claim the event was attended by more than 200,000 people, despite the venue only having room for 100,000. Photo by Vladimir Astapkovich/Pool via Reuters

IN OTHER NEWS

The freedom convoy’s impromptu three-week downtown Ottawa honk party cost the city about $36 million, according to a city memo. With assistance provided by the Mounties removed, the bill to import, equip, feed and house the hundreds of police officers brought in to bolster local ranks was just shy of $28 million, but the final tally may end up being higher. The tally doesn’t include lost revenue for impacted Ottawa businesses.

Staying on the convoy beat, jailed organizer Steeve Charland was to have spent at least one more weekend behind bars as Justice of the Peace Jocelyne St-Jean mulls arguments heard at the activist’s Thursday bail hearing. Charland has been in custody since his Feb. 26 arrest near Vankleek Hill, Que., charged with mischief and advising others to commit mischief in connection with the convoy’s three-week siege of downtown Ottawa. St-Jean’s decision is expected Monday.

With his arch-rival freshly elected into his caucus, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney faces the fight of his political career in three weeks. The United Conservative Party will meet in Red Deer on April 9 for a leadership review where Kenney may find himself ousted from the party he helped create. Former Wildrose party leader Brian Jean — who in 2017 agreed with then-Alberta PC leader Kenney to merge the two parties — regained a seat in Alberta’s legislature this week in a landslide byelection win, suggesting his “remove Jason Kenney from office” platform struck a chord with voters. Calgary Sun columnist Rick Bell wrote on Friday that Kenney’s political goose may very well be cooked, with party insiders describing a potentially astonishing turnout in Red Deer.

Canada’s Governor General Mary Simon had her first official visit with the Queen last week — sharing tea and trading niceties at Windsor Castle with the 95-year-old monarch. Simon’s London stopover also included meetings with Prince Charles, as well as a visit with Canada’s U.K. High Commissioner Ralph Goodale. She concluded her overseas trip with a visit to the Middle East, where on Saturday she’ll be the guest of honour at Canada’s National Day celebrations at Expo 2020 in Dubai. Photo by Steve Parsons/Pool via REUTERS

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