Trudeau to Travel to Europe to Talk Ukraine, Climate Change, ‘Inclusive Growth’

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau rises during question period in the House of Commons in Ottawa on Feb. 15, 2022. Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press

News Analysis

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Friday he will be travelling to Europe next week to discuss Russia’s attack on Ukraine, as well as other topics such as climate change and “inclusive growth.”

“Of course we’ll be discussing how to continue to support Ukraine, how to strengthen democratic values around the world, and how to stand up even more for democracy, to stand against Russian aggression, and to work very hard on combating the kind of disinformation and misinformation that we know is a facet of day to day life these days, but a particularly strong facet of this conflict, this war in Ukraine,” Trudeau said during a public transit announcement in Mississauga.

“We’re also going to be obviously talking with our allies in Europe about economic recovery, about fighting climate change, about being there to create inclusive growth for people.”

Trudeau said he will visit the United Kingdom, Latvia, Germany, and Poland.

Energy

Climate change policies and reducing reliance on hydrocarbon energy sources have been key focus areas of the Liberal government. However, in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, there have been more calls for Canada to ramp up its hydrocarbon production to reduce world reliance on Russian energy.

Conservative MP and leadership contender Pierre Poilievre says Canada’s “anti-energy” policies have resulted in Canada importing oil from “dirty dictatorships around the world,” adding the world’s reliance on energy import from countries with dictatorships is “an international security threat.”

Russian dissident and former chess champion Gary Kasparov wrote in the Chicago Tribune that the West needs to replace Russian hydrocarbons by increasing energy production and finding new sources.

“There’s no point in saving the planet if you don’t save the people on it,” he said.

Trudeau seemed to let on earlier this week that Canadian hydrocarbons could help Europe with its supply issues, since it relies on Russia for around 40 percent of its natural gas supply.

“We know that the global economy has to decarbonize, but we haven’t quite got there yet. But we will provide the resources necessary to help our European friends,” Trudeau said on March 1.

‘Disinformation’

In his press conference on March 4, Trudeau talked about the idea of defending democracies against “misinformation and disinformation.”

He announced earlier this week his government would ask the regulatory body Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to review the presence of Russian state media Russia Today on Canadian airwaves, citing concerns about disinformation.

The Liberal government recently brought forward Bill C-11, the Copyright Modernization Act, which would grant the CRTC broad powers to regulate content online. The Conservatives have criticized the bill as an attempt “to control the internet and free speech.”