Harper confronts Putin, Trudeau dithers These are dangerous days. It matters whos prime minister. On the weekend, at the G20 meetings in Australia, Russias ruler, Vladimir Putin, approached Stephen Harper with an outstretched hand and a smile. It would have been easy for Harper to shake his hand and smile back - to do otherwise would be diplomatically awkward. And in the quick instant it happened, with no notice, it would have felt awkward to respond to another persons warm welcome with anything less than the same. Especially for Canadians, who are world famous for our overuse of the word sorry. Perhaps thats exactly what Putin was counting on - being personally, physically dominant. Hes the fittest G20 leader - a karate black belt, a vigorous sportsman, a former KGB agent. Getting into peoples personal space isnt just his style, its his career. But in that moment, Harpers instincts were right. He didnt refuse Putins handshake; he didnt try to outbully the bully. But he didnt pretend everything was fine, either. I guess Ill shake your hand but I have only one thing to say to you: You need to get out of Ukraine, he said. Harpers office released that wording, and Putins office confirmed it. In that one moment, he spoke truth to power - and electrified the whole G20 meeting, setting the moral tone for other leaders who joined in. It was the exact opposite of the psychological victory Putin had hoped for - he had wanted to project an image of normalcy and acceptability. Stephen Harpers 23 words stopped that dead in its tracks. In the end, Putin left the summit early, in a huff, claiming he needed to sleep. We will have an election in less than a year, and polls suggest Justin Trudeau could be prime minister. He has already publicly expressed his admiration for China and its basic dictatorship. How would Trudeau have done, had Putin approached him with a smile and an outstretched hand? No need to guess. Last month, the CBCs Evan Solomon asked Trudeau this question: Youre nose to nose with Mr. Putin, the Ukraine situation. What do you say if you were prime minister? Trudeau didnt answer. He ducked: Im confident that my judgment and the values that have shaped me and the values that Canadians stand for are what Im going to be bringing on to the world stage. Solomon tried again: But what do you say ... Vladimir Putins sitting in front of you. What do you say about the situation in Ukraine? Trudeau waved the question off, as if it were a hypothetical scenario. And then he asked what Solomon would do: Well, whats the situation going to be six months from now? Im asking you, Evan. Solomon was not easily distracted: People are trying to test what you would do now. Heres the best that Trudeau could muster, on his third try: Putins actions have been unacceptable. His expansionist policies are not helpful to Europe or to global stability. And he needs to step off from his aggressive moves. But as soon as he said that, he pulled back: But a year from now, you know, well have to see where we are. And I think the most important thing is that Canadians understand the values and the principles that drive me, and thats what were going to continue. Yeah. Its safe to say we know who Putin hopes Canadas PM will be at the next G20 meeting. sunnewsnetwork.ca/archives/sunnews/straighttalk/2014/11/20141118-073009.html
Posted on: Tue, 18 Nov 2014 14:22:16 +0000
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