As Russia advances, Canada ratchets up sanctions

From: POLITICO Ottawa Playbook - Friday Feb 25,2022 11:01 am

Feb 25, 2022

By Nick Taylor-Vaisey and Andy Blatchford

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WELCOME TO OTTAWA PLAYBOOK. I'm your host, Nick Taylor-Vaisey. Ottawa slapped Russia with a fresh round of sanctions Thursday, including a notable name to hockey fans spotted by POLITICO's ANDY BLATCHFORD. Also, get ready for all the bold-named speculation you can handle on the nascent Tory leadership race.

Driving the Day

CLOSING IN ON KYIV — Russian forces moved on Ukraine's capital early Friday morning. POLITICO’s Brussels Playbook said Russia is tightening the noose on Kyiv. "Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba reported 'horrific Russian rocket strikes on Kyiv,' adding: 'Last time our capital experienced anything like this was in 1941 when it was attacked by Nazi Germany. Ukraine defeated that evil and will defeat this one. Stop Putin. Isolate Russia.' As air raids were announced, people in Kyiv and in Kharkiv in northeast Ukraine sheltered in underground stations and basements. Here are the scenes on the ground and in the air. There are reports of civilians injured."

Top of POLITICO this morning: What Does Putin Really Want?

More than 1,700 have been detained at anti-war protests in Russia. Keep up to developments on POLITICO's live blog with news from Ukraine, Russia, across Europe, Canada and the U.S.

HOUSEHOLD NAME — Canada released its updated list of sanctioned Russian entities and individuals late Thursday, and one name jumped out: hockey legend VYACHESLAV ALEXANDROVICH FETISOV.

The former Detroit Red Wing defenceman entered politics after a hockey career that included Olympic gold medals and a Hall of Fame induction. Years ago, he also served as Putin’s minister of sport.

The EU sanctioned Fetisov on Wednesday, highlighting how he, as a member of the Russian State Duma, voted in favor of independence for the breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.

— Trudeau enters the chat: Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU joined a long list of world leaders Thursday who condemned VLADIMIR PUTIN's attack on Ukraine.“This morning, Ukrainians woke up to the brutal, terrifying reality of war. President Putin has launched a horrific, unprovoked attack on their country, a sovereign nation, including missile strikes in their capital, Kyiv.”

— One DPM, four languages: Deputy Prime Minister CHRYSTIA FREELAND's remarks on Thursday spanned four languages, including both Ukrainian and Russian — which she employed to send a message directly to the Russian people:

“To my friends in Russia, I want to say directly and clearly — our fight is not with the Russian people but with President Putin and those who surround and support him, those who made a bloody choice to attack a sovereign democratic state.”

— What's next: More sanctions, likely. But if Putin himself eventually finds himself in Canada's crosshairs, it'll be because allies agreed to go there together. “We want to make sure to put maximum pressure on Vladimir Putin’s regime and also on the Russian economy,” said Foreign Minister MÉLANIE JOLY.

— Curses: Emotions ran high on both sides of the aisle as Russian forces infiltrated Ukraine. MELANIE PARADIS, former d-comm to ERIN O'TOOLE, shelved partisanship in support of the deputy prime minister.

"Screw partisanship," tweeted Paradis. "I am tremendously proud that Chrystia Freeland, a Ukrainian-Canadian journalist once surveilled by the KGB, now gets to stand before the world as deputy PM and tell Putin to f*** right off."

Liberal MP MARK GERRETSEN reacted viscerally to a video of an apparent missile attack on a residential neighborhood in Ukraine. "It breaks my heart to hear children crying amidst this," tweeted Gerretsen. "F--k you, Putin." (That censorship is ours.)

PERSPECTIVES

Liberal MP Yvan Baker at his swearing-in ceremony

Liberal MP Yvan Baker at his swearing-in ceremony. His mother, Myroslava Oleksiuk (at left), was born in Germany after her parents fled Ukraine. | Photo courtesy of Yvan Baker

Liberal MP YVAN BAKER has won two federal elections in suburban Etobicoke Centre. Before that, he served the same constituents at Queen's Park. Before that, the management consultant also served a stint as the president of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress's provincial council.

For Baker, the war in Ukraine is personal.

He spoke to Playbook about his family's connection to the fight — and why Putin's invasion is about more than a single nation. The conversation is edited and condensed for clarity.

Your grandparents were the last generation of your family to live in Ukraine. Why did they leave?

My grandmother grew up in Soviet Ukraine. She lost three of her brothers to the Soviet secret police. My grandfather was involved in a lot of peaceful work to try to earn an independent Ukraine under the Soviet regime.

Along with millions of others, they had to flee near the end of World War II as the Soviet military advanced. Had they not fled, they likely would have not survived. Like millions of others, they ended up in displaced persons camps. My grandparents ended up in Germany. That's where my mother was born.

Their story is not unique. Millions of people had to flee at that time. Many continued the fight for Ukraine's independence, which was finally earned in 1991.

I was with my grandfather when we were watching the news coverage of Ukraine declaring its independence. He taught me that now that Ukraine was independent, we needed to continue to work to fight for Ukraine's independence.

I was 14 or so. I said, "I don't understand what you're talking about. The world has recognized Ukraine's independence. Ukrainians want it." I said to him that he was wrong. And, of course, I was wrong.

What does this invasion mean for the rest of the democratic world?

I think it's important that all Canadians realize that this is not just about Ukraine's sovereignty. It's also about Europe's security, and Canada's security. If we allow Putin to win, then just imagine the message that sends to him, to other leaders who might think about trying to invade countries or change boundaries by using military force. That's a threat that affects all of us.

Chrystia Freeland spoke in Ukrainian at Thursday's press conference. What did it mean to hear her speak directly to Ukrainian people?

Part of what she said, translated directly, means Ukraine has not died yet. Those are words out of Ukraine's national anthem. I think it speaks to the challenging history that Ukraine has had. Generation upon generation of Ukrainians have been working for a free and democratic and independent Ukraine. The fact that that's in the national anthem speaks volumes.

What I took away from the deputy prime minister was that she was signaling that it's important to all of us to continue that fight. That will resonate deeply with people around the world, and especially those of Ukrainian descent.

HALLWAY CONVERSATION

THE WAR WE DON'T SEE — Cybersecurity never cracks a pollster's list of top election issues. Cyber attacks earned only passing mention in the 2021 Liberal platform. But they are, of course, constant and harmful. BlackBerry's 2022 threat report , released just last week, pulled no punches in its global assessment.

"The events of 2021 serve as a reminder that there is zero immunity to cyberattacks, and no one is safe. SMBs in particular suffered countless financially painful attacks that never made headlines. Attacks affecting organizations of all sizes were inflicted both directly and through their supply chains.

Mobile devices, used by a growing population of world citizens, feature apps that are overwhelmingly insecure. The vulnerable SHAREit app for Android devices, allowing remote code execution, was downloaded over one billion times before its flaws were revealed. Every participant in the digital space, from international corporations down to the individual smartphone owner, remains exposed to cyber risks."

— The worst-case scenario: Try reading along as The Line's MATT GURNEY plays out a theoretical cyber war and not walking away terrified. As Canada ratchets up sanctions against Russia, the risk of counterattack is real. And it's not just financial inconvenience. Critical infrastructure is at risk, too.

YUAN STEVENS, an independent research adviser focused on cybersecurity and emerging technology, walked Playbook through some of the high-level challenges for Canadian governments and corporations.

— Why we're all vulnerable: "Cyberattacks are easier to execute than other forms of warfare in general. They can be deployed rapidly, relatively cheaply and at a distance."

— What's most vulnerable: "Systems at risk include government services to the public — passports and immigration at the federal level, education and waste management at the provincial and municipal level. Hospitals have been subject to numerous attacks around the world and in Canada. Water supply systems, electrical systems and energy companies, transportation, financial services."

— What Canada needs to do: "Plan for the worst-case scenario and how you respond. Isolate critical services and components from other networks. Work with hackers who find and disclose security vulnerabilities in good faith."

AROUND THE HILL

FOURTH TIME'S THE CHARM? — Turn back the clock to a time when Conservatives were casting about for someone, anyone, who could beat a Liberal prime minister after three straight defeats. The first loss had snuffed out a Tory majority. The third weakened the Liberals, but wasn't that close in the end.

That wasn't only the story of the modern Tory crew. It was also that of R.B. BENNETT, ROBERT MANION and JOHN BRACKEN's collective inability to beat WILLIAM LYON MACKENZIE KING. Their next leader, GEORGE DREW, also failed to topple LOUIS ST. LAURENT. Only JOHN DIEFENBAKER's prairie spirit managed to end the Grit dynasty.

Which brings us to today's Conservatives. STEPHEN HARPER's political career ended thanks to JUSTIN TRUDEAU. ANDREW SCHEER and ERIN O'TOOLE were one-and-done party leaders. Are they now in for a Drew or a Dief?

— The favorite: The clear consensus pegs the boisterous PIERRE POILIEVRE as frontrunner. He's got an ambitious pitch and an energized team. He's made a lot of friends in two decades of loyal service to his party (even if he isn't everybody's cup of tea). He's not a socon, though he speaks their language. He's all about freedom, screaming it from the rooftops. No conservative has a problem with that F-word.

Poilievre announced four campaign co-chairs on Thursday: Edmonton MP TIM UPPAL, longtime ally JOHN BAIRD, Tory Sen. LEO HOUSAKOS and former fisheries minister GAIL SHEA.

The CBC's HANNAH THIBEDEAU reports: Poilievre's supporters are pushing for a swift race to choose the next leader.

— The contenders: Playbook will explore every potential candidacy in the days ahead. We're all ears if you're in Brampton Mayor PATRICK BROWN's camp or cheering on prominent commentator TASHA KHEIRIDDIN. Heck, we're still game to talk about JAMES MOORE, the former Harper cabmin who keeps saying leader-y things but is almost certain to leave his name off the ballot. And what of PETER MACKAY and LESLYN LEWIS?

— The reality check: Playbook has no reliable intelligence that MICHELLE REMPEL GARNER is interested in the gig. But she made waves on the Hill with a blunt repudiation of the "Great Reset" conspiracy theory shamelessly promoted by several of her caucus colleagues.

In the long essay for The Line, the Calgary MP didn't go easy on PM Trudeau. But she had harsh words for Conservatives who, "likely seeing a bigger political opportunity, went all-in, and suggested that fighting the evil but functionally non-existent Schwabian-Trudeau Great Reset was of paramount importance."

Whom might she be referencing? Global's ALEX BOUTILIER helpfully linked to Open Parliament's record of parliamentary debate. See: SHANNON STUBBS, JEREMY PATZER, CATHAY WAGANTALL, CHERYL GALLANT, TAMARA JANSEN — oh, and Poilievre. Revenge of the moderates?

— The Quebecer: One candidate-to-be no one can ignore is JEAN CHAREST, the Mulroney-era Cabinet minister who survived the 1993 Progressive Conservative collapse, salvaged the party's electoral prospects and eventually served as Quebec premier for nine years.

Charest very nearly entered the post-Scheer race. Harper resigned from the party's powerful fundraising arm toquash that bid. PAUL WELLS broke that story for Maclean's. This time, it's JOËL-DENIS BELLEVANCE's turn at La Presse. Harper, he reported Wednesday,wants a "real Conservative" to run the party.

— Baggage: Ask a handful of Tory operatives about Charest and the response boils down to a few key points. He could win substantial support in Quebec and Atlantic Canada, benefiting from the points system that bestows disproportionate power on ridings with fewer party members. But red flags aren't hard to spot.

Charestadvised Huawei in the middle of MENG WANZHOU's fight for freedom, at the same time MICHAEL KOVRIG and MICHAEL SPAVOR were languishing in Chinese prisons. The former premier also suffered years of bad headlines emanating from the Charbonneau Commission into corruption in Quebec's construction industry.

— TVO's STEVE PAIKINasked a key question about Charest's rumored return to politics. After a decade on the outside, does he still have game?

In a Wednesday column, Paikin quoted former PM BRIAN MULRONEY's analogy for JOHN TURNER's mediocre political comeback: “You take WAYNE GRETZKY off the ice for a decade and see how good he is when he comes back.”

— The worst-case scenario: One connected Conservative worries the party will struggle to reconcile a grassroots desire for a red-meat leader with a platform that can actually beat Liberals. "I think the only wake-up call will occur when a leader who plays to the base suffers a crushing general election loss."

Then again, a country truly exhausted by Liberals might heal all wounds. "There is an ideological split," said this Tory. "But winning cures all."

TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS

9 a.m. PM TRUDEAU will participate in the NATO Leaders Meeting to discuss the situation in Ukraine.

11 a.m. Federal officials will offer an update on Covid.

11 a.m. NDP leader JAGMEET SINGH meets with Burnaby mayor MIKE HURLEY.

3 p.m. Singh meets with BILL BROWDER, the head of the Global Magnitsky Justice Campaign, to discuss the current situation in Ukraine.

6 p.m. Trudeau will participate in a virtual celebration to mark the end of Black History Month hosted by Gender Equality Minister MARCI IEN.

WHAT WE'RE ALL THINKING

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland leaves a news conference on November 30, 2020.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland leaves a news conference on November 30, 2020. | Adrian Wyld/CP

Have you ever noticed the stack of dead trees beside Deputy PM CHRYSTIA FREELAND at press conferences? You're not alone.

— File this under Innocuous Anonymous Comments From Hill Observers: "Minister Freeland holds what seems to be a mammoth mound of paper at every press conference. I have no doubt she has read every word on each piece of paper. I get it. But man does it look heavy all the time. Just saying."

— The minister's reply: Sort of. Playbook found a staffer in Freeland's office who would say this: "Yes, she’s definitely at a certain point read all the papers in her hands; she likes to do her homework. She wants to have the facts at her fingertips. And as a former journalist she almost always has a notepad and pens on hand."

— The backstory: In a July 2020 interview with Toronto Life , Freeland emphasized the importance she places on learning directly from people. “Good reporters do their reporting,” she said. “They rely on primary sources and when they’re trying to understand something they go to the smartest person they can find directly.”

She still takes briefings, but buttresses her understanding with direct conversations.

Freeland later told POLITICO that her pandemic sources include "economists, premiers, mayors, business leaders, labor leaders, doctors and epidemiologists — and, of course, Canadians whose lives are affected by our policies."

Does the minister prefer paper to electronic? Says the staffer: "Yes."

PROZONE

For POLITICO Pro s, our PM policy newsletter: War enters Tiff Macklem’s inflation battle.

In other headlines for Pros:

— ‘This madness has to stop’ — Canada slaps Russia with more sanctions.
— Fear enters the oil markets.
— Biden moves to cut off Russia's access to critical technology.
— U.S. lawmakers pressure Biden over EU digital gatekeeper rules.
— EU moves to sanction Russian ‘trolls’ over disinformation.

MEDIA ROOM

— The U.S. president and his aides thought they could manage Putin. Their calculations were dead wrong, POLITICO’s NAHAL TOOSI reports.

— JUSTIN LING shares a dispatch from the front line of the information war.

— Stockholm syndrome: The Globe published ANDREW COHEN's latest disappointment with the nation's capital , a city "without imagination or ambition" that he wishes could aspire to the heights of Nordic metropolis. Cohen has a habit of hating on Ottawa that traced back to 2005, which PAUL WELLS smacked down six years ago.

— BRETT FORESTER of APTN reports: Internal records from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans reveal the bureaucracy was rattled, slow to act and largely unprepared for violent protests targeting the launch of the Sipekne’katik First Nation’s moderate livelihood lobster fishery in September.

PLAYBOOKERS

Birthdays: HBD to Liberal MP DAVID MCGUINTY. … Former Tory Cabinet minister CHUCK STRAHL also celebrates today. … Sen. SCOTT TANNAS hits the big 6-0.

Spotted: Medicago's made-in-Canada Covid vaccine, officially approved by Health Canada. … JEFF LEHMAN, the popular mayor of Barrie, Ont., signing up for the provincial Liberals. … ERIN O'TOOLE, making his first public statement since he was ousted as Tory leader. … Doug Ford campaign strategist MICHAEL DIAMOND, canvassing his followers for long-weekend travel ideas south of the border.

Families Minister KARINA GOULD, testing positive for Covid: "I had been feeling a little under the weather and this morning I took a rapid test."

From the tenders: The RCMP ponied up C$1,085,620 for accommodations at 200 Coventry Road — aka the Courtyard Marriott beside the trucker convoy staging area east of downtown Ottawa. … The feds bought up C$84.9 million worth of flu vaccine from Sanofi Pasteur. … The Royal Military College is paying C$115,492 for a new video scoreboard at Constantine Arena.

Movers and shakers: Algonquin College named its next five honorary degree recipients: CATHERINE CLARK, ALEX MUNTER, GOLDY HYDER, TODD NICHOLSON and IAN SHERMAN.

MARCI IEN, minister for women, gender equality and youth, recognized MONIQUE AUBRY FRIZE, CARINA GABRIELE, BAILEY GREENSPON and CAITLIN SALVINO for the Governor General's Awards in Commemoration of the Persons Case.

Media mentions: CAROL OFF steps down today as host of CBC’s As It Happens. Worst interview ever? EVEL KNIEVEL, she says. What’s next? “I'm just so curious about what else is out there in the world, and I get to check it out now,” she said in reply to a question from a 13-year-old listener.

TRIVIA

Thursday's answer: On this day in 1905 (or 1906, depending on the source), the Ottawa Silver Seven celebrated their Stanley Cup championship by kicking the iconic trophy into the Rideau Canal. (Note: This actually might not have happened.)

Props to GWENDOLYN MONCRIEFF-GOULD, AMY BOUGHNER, JOHN GUOBA, DAN MCCARTHY, ROBERT MCDOUGALL, MICHAEL SUNG, TRACY SALMON, CHRIS MCCLUSKEY, NICK MASCIANTONIO, BARRE CAMPBELL, BILL DAY, BOB GORDON, and WAYNE FLEMING.

Belated props to HARRY MCKONE and STEPHEN HARRIS for Wednesday's answer.

Friday’s question: This annual event for the Hill crowd was a men's-only affair until 1967.

Send your answers to ottawaplaybook@politico.com

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