PeaceQuest
  • Home
  • Projects
  • Blog
  • About Us
  • Donate
  • Email Us: sstaples@peacequest.ca
  • For teachers: WarandChildren.com
  • Subscribe to our weekly newsletter
PeaceQuest
  • Home
  • Projects
  • Blog
  • About Us
    • Welcome
  • Donate Now

    Scholarship fund studious poor children

    Notice: Test mode is enabled. While in test mode no live donations are processed.

    $
    Select Payment Method
    Personal Info

    Donation Total: $10

Green deputy leader visits Ukraine after party’s call for negotiations stirs controversy

Homepage Commentary Green deputy leader visits Ukraine after party’s call for negotiations stirs controversy
Commentary

Green deputy leader visits Ukraine after party’s call for negotiations stirs controversy

5 May 2023
By Steven Staples
2 Comments
343 Views

Following the Green Party’s call for peace negotiations in Ukraine, deputy leader Jonathan Pedneault traveled to the war-torn country in April to visit Kyiv, Odesa, and Kharkiv, around 40 kilometres from the Russia border.

Pedneault, who also serves as the party’s foreign affairs critic, told The Hill Times in a phone interview that the trip was “first and foremost” an opportunity to express solidarity with Ukraine and Ukrainian people.

During Question Period in February, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May asked: “What is Canada doing to press for peace talks and to press for a negotiated solution? Arms will not end the war.” Defence Minister Anita Anand said the decision on “peace and Ukraine’s future” will be made by Ukraine.

May received some negative reaction from Ukrainians in Canada. The Ukrainian Canadian Congress tweeted that May’s question showed “[s]hocking ignorance by a leader of a [national] party.” 

That criticism was part of Pedneault’s reason for visiting Ukraine. “It was a personal decision and desire by me to show our party solidarity with Ukraine in these difficult times, especially since a number of people did raise the question of whether we were [in] solidarity with Ukraine, which is quite unfortunate … as I was there at the beginning of the conflict and I documented Russian violations of international law,” he told The Hill Times.

On this #EarthDay2023, a message from #Odesa, #Ukraine and a call to action to protect our common home and the people we love. #GPCEarthDay2023 #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/yaJtHwSVqz

— Jonathan Pedneault (@j_pedneault) April 22, 2023

Jonathan Pedneault has some thoughts on the constructive role Canada can play at rebuilding a post-conflict Ukraine. He is especially concerned with Ukrainians who worked with Russian authorities while under occupation, or those who hold Russian sympathies and may not welcome the return of the Kyiv government.

“[There are] questions of what to do with people who are suspected of having collaborated with occupying forces,” he said. “There are some reasonable worries to be had with regards to how the Ukrainian law on collaborators, which was passed in rush right after the invasion, will be applied.” 

“I think it will be crucial for the stability for Ukraine and also its long-term prospects to re-engage in transitional justice as much as possible,” Pedneault told The Hill Times. “And that’s something that I hope Canada will be able to support and should start supporting as soon as possible alongside reconstruction.”

  • Read “Solidarity pitch behind Green Party’s Ukraine trip,” by Neil Moss, published by The Hill Times on May 3, 2023
Tags: Ukraine

Previous Story
Canada to supply Ukraine with uranium fuel for precarious nuclear plants
Next Story
Doctors say dangers from nuclear weapons and nuclear power are linked

Related Articles

Controversial conference seeks peace in Ukraine

Groups preparing a Vienna Declaration for Peace

Is Putin tilting the diplomatic scales?

Emerging countries moving into "neutral" position

2 replies added

  1. Josephine Casey 6 May 2023

    NO – supply or Uranium
    THAT is ABSOLUTELY contrary to what has just been said
    Moscow is so very close to Ukraine

    As has been said by MANY informed people around the planet
    THIS is a USA against RUSSIA war- started years ago- many years ago – slowly bu USA
    CANADIANS- have the COURAGE and the GUTS – to tell the historical and PRESENT TRUTH – IT is NOT without MERIT o the RUSSIAN side
    NUCLEAR weapons OR NUCLEAR materials given To UKRAINE IS AN EXISTENTIAL THREAT to RUSSIA
    – NO Country has the RIGHT to CREATE such a THREAT—-
    1963- CUBA- KENNEDY/ KHRUSHCHEV- Russia listened- NOW USA and Canada are NOT LISTENING
    Please read- huge bias- NO ONE will consider CHINA’s proposals

    PEACE- has NO WEAPONS aspect In IT

    OTHERWISE we are merely Continually HEADED towards
    ANNIHILATION of 2 BILLION PEOPLE on ALL of EUROPE EASTERN USA- and DO NOT think that CANADA will go unscathed.

    This is HUMAN MADNESS

    Josephine Casey

  2. Eric 6 May 2023

    Hard to believe CBC when it takes umbrage at being labelled a state broadcaster. The hectoring, bullying tone of this interview shows that even the slightest dissent, even still deeply anti-Russian, from continuing and escalating destruction and deaths cannot be tolerated. War is peace.

Comments are closed.

Categories

  • Action
  • Analysis
  • Commentary
  • Event
  • PeaceQuest Cape Breton
  • PeaceQuest Kingston
  • PeaceQuest Regina
  • Resource
  • Teachers

Contact

PeaceQuest Leadership and Education Initiative

c/o Steven Staples, Chairperson

225 Sumach Street W303

Toronto  ON M5A 0P8

Email: sstaples@peacequest.ca

Phone: m. 647-327-7187

PeaceQuest Info

  • Projects
  • Blog
  • About Us
  • Donate
  • Subscribe

Local Groups

  • Cape Breton
  • Kingston
  • Regina

 

 

Teachers

  • WarandChildren.com
Copyright ©2020 PeaceQuest Leadership and Education Initiative
SearchPostsLogin
Friday, 2, Jun
Photos of CANSEC arms show protest
Friday, 2, Jun
Controversial conference seeks peace in Ukraine
Friday, 26, May
Pentagon won’t pause AI development despite warnings
Friday, 26, May
Take the poll: Trudeau, NATO and military spending
Monday, 22, May
Is Putin tilting the diplomatic scales?
Friday, 19, May
Take action: Call on PM Trudeau to work for nuclear disarmament

Welcome back,