{~_~}Раиса
2014-06-08 21:19:19 UTC
He's out of step with almost everyone these days: Premiers of the
provinces, the Supreme Court, the United States, the UN, and nearly 75%
of Canadians. Here he goes again, with the other leaders of the G7 . . . .
________________________________________________
Global News - June 6, 2014
EXCLUSIVE: Harper out of step with other G7 leaders on meeting Putin
While other G7 leaders softened their stances towards Russian President
Vladimir Putin on Friday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper hardened his line.
“I’m not meeting with Mr. Putin and neither is President Obama,” Harper
said in an exclusive interview airing Sunday on The West Block with Tom
Clark.
But Harper appeared caught off guard. Shortly after his interview with
Clark, the White House and the Kremlin both confirmed U.S. President
Barack Obama met with Putin briefly on the sidelines of a leaders’ lunch
in Normandy, France.
Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Obama and Putin had exchanged
views about the situation in Ukraine and the crisis in the eastern
region of the country, where Ukrainian forces have been fighting
pro-Russian insurgents.
“Putin and Obama spoke for the need to end violence and fighting as
quickly as possible,” Peskov said.
Other world leaders including French President Francois Hollande, German
Chancellor Angela Merkel, British Prime Minister David Cameron and
Ukrainian President-elect Petro Poroshenko also met with Putin while
attending D-Day ceremonies in Normandy, France.
Harper said the issue of whether to meet with Putin was discussed at
length at G7 meetings in Brussels, Belgium just days before.
“I think what we all agreed is that in meetings with Mr. Putin, the
messages should be very clear and only those messages should be
delivered,” he said. “And those messages are very straightforward: get
out of occupied territory, stop fomenting violence and other provocative
behaviour, and recognize and work with the new government of Ukraine on
the economy and on trade, and on things that unite people.”
Harper went on to describe Putin as a man who will act with impunity,
but backed away from earlier comparisons to the Second World War.
“This is an individual who clearly believes that if he’s able, he has
the right and the ability, to invade another country, to alter borders
through military force,” he said. “You know we’re not at Hitleresque
proportions, but this is really disconcerting. This is a major power
threatening global peace and security in this way and I don’t think it’s
to be taken lightly.”
Following Friday’s ceremonies in France, Harper will travel to Ukraine
to attend Saturday’s swearing-in of the country’s new president and to
affirm Canadian support against Russian aggression.
The full interview with Prime Minister Stephen Harper airs Sunday on The
West Block with Tom Clark on Global News at noon Atlantic, 11 a.m.
Eastern and Central, and 10 a.m. Mountain and Pacific.
provinces, the Supreme Court, the United States, the UN, and nearly 75%
of Canadians. Here he goes again, with the other leaders of the G7 . . . .
________________________________________________
Global News - June 6, 2014
EXCLUSIVE: Harper out of step with other G7 leaders on meeting Putin
While other G7 leaders softened their stances towards Russian President
Vladimir Putin on Friday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper hardened his line.
“I’m not meeting with Mr. Putin and neither is President Obama,” Harper
said in an exclusive interview airing Sunday on The West Block with Tom
Clark.
But Harper appeared caught off guard. Shortly after his interview with
Clark, the White House and the Kremlin both confirmed U.S. President
Barack Obama met with Putin briefly on the sidelines of a leaders’ lunch
in Normandy, France.
Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Obama and Putin had exchanged
views about the situation in Ukraine and the crisis in the eastern
region of the country, where Ukrainian forces have been fighting
pro-Russian insurgents.
“Putin and Obama spoke for the need to end violence and fighting as
quickly as possible,” Peskov said.
Other world leaders including French President Francois Hollande, German
Chancellor Angela Merkel, British Prime Minister David Cameron and
Ukrainian President-elect Petro Poroshenko also met with Putin while
attending D-Day ceremonies in Normandy, France.
Harper said the issue of whether to meet with Putin was discussed at
length at G7 meetings in Brussels, Belgium just days before.
“I think what we all agreed is that in meetings with Mr. Putin, the
messages should be very clear and only those messages should be
delivered,” he said. “And those messages are very straightforward: get
out of occupied territory, stop fomenting violence and other provocative
behaviour, and recognize and work with the new government of Ukraine on
the economy and on trade, and on things that unite people.”
Harper went on to describe Putin as a man who will act with impunity,
but backed away from earlier comparisons to the Second World War.
“This is an individual who clearly believes that if he’s able, he has
the right and the ability, to invade another country, to alter borders
through military force,” he said. “You know we’re not at Hitleresque
proportions, but this is really disconcerting. This is a major power
threatening global peace and security in this way and I don’t think it’s
to be taken lightly.”
Following Friday’s ceremonies in France, Harper will travel to Ukraine
to attend Saturday’s swearing-in of the country’s new president and to
affirm Canadian support against Russian aggression.
The full interview with Prime Minister Stephen Harper airs Sunday on The
West Block with Tom Clark on Global News at noon Atlantic, 11 a.m.
Eastern and Central, and 10 a.m. Mountain and Pacific.