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world news Diaranson 2 Februari 2022

Putin offers more talks with West to defuse Ukraine tensions

(AP) — Russian President that Ukraine’s accession to following their call on Mon-
Vladimir Putin said Tues- NATO could lead to a situ- day.
day that the U.S. and its al- ation where Ukrainian au-
lies have ignored Russia’s top thorities launch a military In a bid to exert pressure on
security demands but added action to reclaim control over the West, Russian Foreign
that Moscow remains open Crimea or areas controlled Minister Sergey Lavrov sent
to more talks with the West by Russia-backed separatists letters to the U.S. and other
on easing soaring tensions in the country’s east. Western counterparts point-
over Ukraine. ing out their past obligations
Russia annexed Ukraine’s signed by all members of the
Putin argued that it’s possible Crimean Peninsula in 2014 Organization for Security
to negotiate an end to the following the ouster of the and Cooperation in Europe,
standoff if interests of all par- country’s Moscow-friendly a top trans-Atlantic security
ties, including Russia’s secu- president and later threw grouping.
rity concerns, are taken into its weight behind rebels in
account. Ukraine’s eastern indus- Russia has argued that
trial heartland, triggering a NATO’s expansion eastward
Russia has denied having an conflict that has killed over has hurt Russia’s security, In Tuesday’s phone call with the withdrawal of troops and
intention to attack its neigh- 14,000. violating the principle of “in- U.S. Secretary of State Ant- equipment from Ukraine’s
bor, but talks between Rus- divisibility of security” en- ony Blinken, Lavrov warned borders,” Price said. He reaf-
sia and the West have so far Speaking after talks with dorsed by the OSCE in 1999 that Moscow will not allow firmed that “further invasion
failed to yield any progress. Hungarian Prime Minister and 2010. Washington to “hush up” the of Ukraine would be met
Victor Orban, who forged issue. with swift and severe conse-
Washington and its allies close ties with Moscow even Putin charged that the West quences and urged Russia to
have rejected Moscow’s de- though his country is a mem- has “conned” Russia by re- Blinken, meanwhile, empha- pursue a diplomatic path.”
mand for a halt to NATO’s ber of NATO, Putin noted neging on its promises in sized “the U.S. willingness,
expansion to Ukraine and that it’s still possible to nego- the early 1990s that NATO bilaterally and together with Senior State Department
other ex-Soviet nations, a tiate a settlement that would would not expand eastward. Allies and partners, to con- officials described the call
freeze on the deployment of take every party’s concerns He argued that the U.S. and tinue a substantive exchange as professional and “fairly
weapons there and a rollback into account. its allies have ignored the with Russia on mutual secu- candid,” noting that Lavrov
of alliance forces from East- principle that the security rity concerns.” restated Russia’s insistence
ern Europe, describing them The Russian leader argued of one nation should not be that it has no plans to invade
as nonstarters. They empha- that NATO’s open-door strengthened at the expense State Department spokes- Ukraine and Blinken replied
sized that Ukraine, like any policy doesn’t oblige the alli- of others, while insisting on man Ned Price noted that that if Putin didn’t really
other nation, has the right to ance to offer membership to every nation’s right to choose Blinken also “further reiter- intend to invade Ukraine,
choose alliances. Ukraine, suggesting that the alliances. ated the U.S. commitment Russia should withdraw its
alliance could tell Ukraine to Ukraine’s sovereignty and troops.
The Russian leader coun- that it can’t join “due to earli- Lavrov made the same argu- territorial integrity, as well as
tered that argument by not- er international obligations.” ment in his letter that was re- the right of all countries to The top diplomats agreed
ing that the Western allies’ leased by his ministry, stating determine their own foreign that the next step would be
refusal to meet Russia’s de- He said that French Presi- that “there must be security policy and alliances.” for Russia to submit its re-
mands violates their obliga- dent Emmanuel Macron may for all or there will be no se- sponse to the U.S. and for
tions on integrity of security soon visit Moscow as part of curity for anyone.” Blinken “urged immediate the sides to speak again.
for all nations. He warned renewed diplomatic efforts Russian de-escalation and

Anti-vaccine protest in Canada spurs outrage

(AP) — In a scene at odds with tinfoil hats.” During the demonstration, the statue tion has been set up. Sloly said one
Canadians’ reputation for nice- of Terry Fox, a national hero who lost person had been arrested in connec-
ness and rule-following, thou- Organizers, including one who has a leg to bone cancer as a youngster tion with the protest.
sands of protesters railing against espoused white supremacist views, and set off in 1980 on a fundraising
vaccine mandates and other CO- had raised millions for the cross- trek across Canada, was draped with Tim Abray, a Ph.D. candidate, said he
VID-19 restrictions descended on country “freedom truck convoy” an upside-down Canadian flag and a was assaulted by “so-called freedom
the capital over the weekend, de- against vaccine mandates. It attracted sign that read “Mandate freedom.” fighters” while taking pictures of the
liberately blocking traffic around support from former U.S. President protest in his neighborhood.
Parliament Hill. Donald Trump and Tesla billionaire Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he
Elon Musk. was “extremely disturbed” to see peo- The most visible contingent of pro-
Some urinated and parked on the ple “desecrate our most sacred mon- testers were truck drivers who parked
National War Memorial. One danced Trudeau and his family were moved uments and wave swastikas and other their big rigs on Parliament Hill.
on the Tomb of the Unknown Sol- to an undisclosed location during the symbols of hate and intolerance.” Some of them were protesting a rule
dier. A number carried signs and flags protest. (Two of his children tested that took effect Jan. 15 requiring
with swastikas. positive for COVID-19, and a test The outburst was seen as so out of truckers entering Canada to be fully
Monday revealed he, too, was in- character for Canada that one U.S. immunized against the coronavirus.
In the aftermath of Canada’s biggest fected. He said he is fine and working scientist felt compelled to apologize
pandemic protest to date, the demon- remotely. ) for what he portrayed as America’s Some opposition Conservative law-
strators have found little sympathy in influence. makers attended the protest, and
a country where more than 80% are A smaller but still significant number Conservative Party leader Erin
vaccinated. Many people were out- of protesters remained on the streets Many of the demonstrators refused O’Toole, who is facing a revolt among
raged by some of the crude behavior. on Tuesday, saying they won’t leave to wear masks in hotels, malls and his lawmakers, met with some of the
until all vaccine mandates and other grocery stores. One homeless shelter truckers.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called restrictions are gone. They are also reported protesters had demanded it
the Ottawa protesters a “fringe mi- calling for the removal of Trudeau’s feed them. Phil Haggart, a counter-protester,
nority” and said they reflected the government, though it is responsi- said he was there to show that there
proliferation of “disinformation and ble for few of the measures, most of Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly said are voices in favor of public health
misinformation online, conspiracy which were put in place by provincial several investigations are underway measures.
theorists, about microchips, about governments. and a tip line for hate crimes, threats
God knows what else that go with the and assaults related to the demonstra-