The decision on the turbines could weaken the common front, believes Rick Hillier

WASHINGTON — Retired Canadian General Rick Hillier fears that Ottawa’s decision to send Nord Stream 1 pipeline turbines back to Germany will weaken international sanctions imposed on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

Mr. Hillier now leads a new advisory council of retired military commanders, formed by the Ukrainian World Congress. The retired general fears that this decision will be the first fracture in the common economic front against Moscow.

For their part, the retired American generals David Petraeus and Welsey Clark are less critical, describing as difficult the decision of Ottawa, which had to decide in the best interest of all parties involved.

The federal government agreed earlier this month to grant a temporary exemption from the sanctions imposed on Moscow, in order to return six turbines repaired in Montreal and destined for the Russian state-owned pipeline.

Trudeau defended the move, noting that Germany, an important NATO ally, was heavily dependent on natural gas flowing through the Russian pipeline.

Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky called Canada’s decision « absolutely unacceptable. »