XPost: can.politics, bc.politics, ab.politics   
   XPost: ont.politics, man.politics, sk.politics   
   From: {~_~}@nyet.ca   
      
   I guess we must have a bigger surplus in our budget than Harper and   
   Flaherty were letting on.  I mean, if we have billions to spend on   
   another war . . . .   
   _______________________________________   
      
   By Mike Blanchfield — CP — Apr 14 2014   
      
      
   Russia poses grave threat to world peace, time to rally allies: Harper   
      
   Russian actions against Ukraine are “aggressive, militaristic and   
   imperialistic” and pose a grave threat to world peace, Prime Minister   
   Stephen Harper said today. Pro-Russian groups have occupied buildings in   
   10 cities in eastern Ukraine in recent days, prompting Harper to use his   
   harshest words yet against what he called “Russian provocateurs sent by   
   the Putin   
      
      
   Canada, Poland to unveil Ukraine help package   
      
      
      
   OTTAWA - Canada and Poland will announce a joint package to assist   
   Ukraine when Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird visits Warsaw next week.   
      
   Marcin Bosacki, the Polish ambassador to Canada, says in an interview   
   with The Canadian Press that the assistance will include measures to   
   strengthen Ukraine's democratic institutions.   
      
   Harper met today with Bosacki and envoys from Ukraine, Georgia, Latvia,   
   Estonia and the Czech Republic before condemning Russia's actions   
   against Ukraine as "aggressive, militaristic and imperialistic" and a   
   grave threat to world peace.   
      
   Harper also announced Baird was being dispatched to talk with allies in   
   eastern Europe before moving on to the Middle East.   
      
   Baird begins his visit next week in Prague before moving on to Slovakia,   
   Poland, Latvia and Estonia.   
      
   Bosacki says once in Warsaw, Baird will announce a major Canadian-Polish   
   initiative to assist the Ukraine government.   
      
   "We are preparing joint projects, Polish-Canadian projects, in Ukraine   
   in the field of good governance, democracy promotion and institutional   
   strengthening of democratic institutions," Bosacki said in an interview.   
      
   "I can't go into specifics.  These will be bilateral projects that will   
   be announced in Warsaw."   
      
   Bosacki said Harper's leadership on the Russian crisis is greatly   
   appreciated by his government, and the prime minister's views on the   
   threats posed by Russian President Vladimir Putin are widely shared.   
      
   "We share a lot of common views about the situation on the ground. We   
   think there are a number of provocateurs and foreign armed men capturing   
   buildings in smaller and bigger towns in eastern Ukraine," he said.   
      
   As pro-Russian groups occupied buildings in 10 cities in eastern Ukraine   
   in recent days, Harper used his harshest words yet against what he   
   called "Russian provocateurs sent by the Putin regime."   
      
   It's time to rally the world against the danger posed by Putin, Harper   
   said at the photo-op event with ambassadors ahead of their meeting.   
      
   "I know this is of great concern to our NATO allies in the region, but   
   it should be a great concern to all of us," Harper said.   
      
   "When a major power acts in a way that is so clearly aggressive,   
   militaristic and imperialistic, this represents a significant threat to   
   the peace and stability of the world and it's time we all recognized the   
   depth and the seriousness of that threat."   
      
   Baird echoed the prime minister in blaming Russia for the latest events,   
   scoffing: "I don't know who the Russian federation thinks it's kidding   
   when it tries to pretend that it has nothing to do with them."   
      
   "There are very clear and disconcerting parallels between what is   
   happening in eastern Ukraine and events leading up to Russia's illegal   
   invasion and annexation of Crimea," he continued, urging Russia to back   
   down.   
      
   Harper and Baird both said Canada is prepared to impose stronger   
   sanctions against Putin's regime.   
      
   "But as I say, the most important thing we need to do is to rally all of   
   our allies throughout the western world and throughout the greater   
   global community to understand that peace and stability is being   
   threatened here in a way that has not been threatened since the end of   
   the Cold War," said Harper.   
      
   Putin is fighting history and will lose, he added.   
      
   "We also know from history that anybody who makes it their historical   
   mission to turn the clock back, as Mr. Putin has determined to do, that   
   those kinds of missions always fail in the end. But we will do all in   
   our power to make it fail."   
      
   Bosacki said Putin has turned back the clock even further in Europe. He   
   said Putin's aggression is "changing the paradigm and nature of   
   international relations, and not only in our region. It's coming back to   
   a traditional 19th century power play and pursuing of national interests   
   — whatever it takes instead of dealing in international institutions and   
   according to international law."   
      
   Harper also paid tribute to the people of Ukraine, saying their   
   determination to secure their freedom and independence has no limit.   
      
   Bosacki reiterated his call for more NATO troops in eastern Europe, but   
   he declined to say what military options for the alliance were discussed   
   with Harper in the meeting.   
      
   "Putin's doctrine, in practice, makes us all the more sure that the   
   vacuum of power is seen by current Russian authorities as weakness and   
   opportunity," he said.   
      
   "Poland is entirely self sufficient and safe. We are spending one of the   
   highest percentages of GDP on defence, but we are member of an alliance."   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)