Canadian taxpayers can’t afford to keep funneling billions of dollars into Ukraine as war with Russia rages on, said Maxime Bernier, leader of the People’s Party of (PPC) Canada.And he warned that continued support to Ukraine without adequate “checks and balances” on $22 billion pledged — with more promised — will increase the death toll. It’s estimated to stand at 1.5 million Ukrainian and Russian soldiers and civilians.“The more dollars they’re giving to Ukraine the war will go on and on,” Bernier told the Western Standard.And “tens of thousands more” will be slaughtered in this “pointless war.”Bernier was triggered by Prime Minister Mark Carney recently “bragging” that Canada contributed $22 billion to Ukraine since Russia invaded in February 2022.Bernier pointed to inflation, Canada teetering on a recession, and the Canadian Armed Forces so depleted it couldn’t defend home turf and would have to “rely on the US.”“If you’re leader of the opposition or prime minister your first job is to work for your people. They’re working for foreigners, they’re working for the corrupt Ukraine government, not for Canadians by sending all that money to Ukraine,” said Bernier.“It’s immoral to do that. We don’t have that money.”It was a glorious day August 24, 1991, when Ukraine’s independence from the crushing former USSR was declared. Ukraine since descended into cesspool of corruption. It’s a hub of international human trafficking and biolabs handling dangerous pathogens. Billionaire oligarchs rob it blind while children and impoverished babas do without.“We should focus on our own problems. That’s about $1,000 each Canadian taxpayer had to give up for Ukraine. Canadians can use that money to pay their groceries right now. It’s crazy. With $22 billion, I don't know how many hospitals you can build. Or help our seniors. We could lower taxes for everybody.” “The federal government is telling us that there's only two percent inflation. It’s not true. Real inflation is about five or six percent.”“We are in a recession in this country, maybe not officially but it’s coming.”On Friday, Statistics Canada revealed Canada’s GDP is worse than expected. The country is in “recession territory,” Pedro Antunes, the Conference Board of Canada’s chief economist, told CTV News.Carney visited Ukraine August 24 to celebrate Independence Day and announced details of a $2-billion aid — drones, armoured vehicles, explosives and other munitions — package he pledged at the June G7 summit in Alberta.Bernier said months ago that “standing with Ukraine actually means standing for the destruction of Ukraine and the extermination of a whole generation of Ukrainian men.”“We (PPC) said since the beginning of the war that Canada must not be part of it because that war does not concern us. Russia isn’t our enemy. Russia is our neighbor,” said Bernier.Statements like that border on heresy among Canadians with blinders on when it comes to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, elevated to unblemished hero status.In many ways there’s no difference between how Zelenskyy and Russia’s dictator President Vladmir Putin operate. Putin is rightly villainized. Petulant Zelenskyy gets red carpet treatment when on money demanding tours. Zelenskyy admitted in February he didn’t know where $100 billion of the $350 billion from the US, went.Bernier’s perspective isn’t the kind of talk European and NATO leaders, to whom the Liberal government submits, would deem acceptable. There’s merit to the claim that Ukraine’s being manipulated as a pawn in a struggle between Russia and the West.“In Europe everybody is for Ukraine and the war. That’s the view of the globalists.”Carney, like many world leaders, feebly repeats calls for peace that haven’t worked for three and a half years.“We need a cessation of hostilities. We need a ceasefire. We can call it a ceasefire, a truce, an armistice. That's necessary to stop the killing. If Russia's aggression goes unchallenged, it will not stop here,” said Carney reciting globalist talking points like that of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.“We are with you, for as long as it takes. Because a free Ukraine means a free Europe,” she posted on social media.Pierre Poilievre was right in March 2022 when he chastised Europe’s response the war as “weak” and “cowering” to Putin’s aggression.“The international community could have long ago crippled Russia's ability to do banking and fund war by cutting it off from the all-important SWIFT messaging system,” he said.No question Putin must pay dearly for invading Ukraine.But after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 NATO broke a promise not to move east of Germany. It since granted membership to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia and Slovenia.Ukraine demands NATO membership — something Putin said crossed a “red line.” NATO dangles the carrot before Ukraine. But Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Ukraine “was never promised a membership.”US President Donald Trump who wants “the killing to stop” said peace could come “almost immediately” if Ukraine abandoned its NATO ambition. During his first term he warned that letting Ukraine into NATO would provoke direct confrontation with Russia.Did Carney intentionally poke the bear when he committed Canadian Forces boots on the ground in some form if a ceasefire is reached last week?In 2008, as foreign affairs minister in former prime minister Stephen Harper’s government, Bernier championed Ukraine entering NATO at a meeting in Bucharest.“My mandate was to push for Ukraine to be part of NATO. That was a big mistake.” “Since that time we are pushing, pushing and Russia said enough. I can understand that they don't want NATO at their door like Kennedy didn't want a Soviet base in Cuba in 1962.”“But the West is saying Putin wants to conquer Europe.”Bernier said the Canadian government might be hindering the peace process.“The timing is very bad because President Trump is trying to have a deal, negotiations. On the other side, we’re pushing for more war, more conflict. Let’s work with Trump and try to have a real peace deal.”“If we want to end that war, we need to say to Russia that Ukraine would be neutral and it can keep the territories it has. Russia has won the war.”Russia occupies about 20% of Ukraine.Canada’s politicians pin on Ukraine’s flag and declare all democracies must support Ukraine. Carney said Ukraine’s democratic cause is Canada’s cause.Under Zelenskyy Ukraine is no more of a democracy than Russia is under Putin.Two thugs are responsible for a river of flowing blood. Both jailed or somehow disposed of opponents. Zelenskky shut down Orthodox churches and seized their assets.Putin, a former high-ranking KGB official amassed a fortune of more than $200 billion since he came into power on an annual $140,000 salary.Zelenskky, a former raunchy comedian, entered office with about $3 million. On his annual salary of $12,000, he has a personal fortune of a minimum of $30 million, possibly hundreds of millions.Putin won the March 2024 election with almost 90% of the vote. Zelenskky was among those who correctly denounced it as illegitimate.Trump called Zelenskky a “dictator without elections.” Zelenskky said he’s delayed May 2024 election because Ukraine’s under martial law.A recent Gallop survey found support for the war has plummeted with 69% of Ukrainians backing an immediate negotiated end. Zelenskyy’s approval rating dropped 40 points since the war began.In June, independent pollster Levada Centre found 64% of Russians favoured peace negotiations. Support for the war fell to 28% from 48% two years earlier.Meanwhile in Canada, politicians safe in the bleachers cheer the heroism of Ukrainian fighters and shout ‘Slava Ukraini’ (Glory to Ukraine).Patriotic Ukrainian fighters are brave.But where’s the glory in Zelenskky’s thug patrols grabbing men and boys off streets, beating them and sending them to the frontlines? Ukraine’s conscription crisis: Alleged abuse leads to protests, emigrationPutin’s no better. Russian law forbids conscripts. But young men are tricked into fighting and dying.READ MORE: Putin's Broken Promise: Young Russian Conscripts Dying In Ukraine InvasionOn Independence Day Zelenskky proclaimed, “We are building a Ukraine that will have enough strength and power to live in security and peace.”Really? Villages are conquered and retaken in counterattacks. Casualties are high in advances of no more than 500 meters. Ten million Ukrainians are displaced. Putin wants full control of Ukraine’s eastern regions, parts of which Russia seized in 2022. It annexed Crimea in 2014.Zelenskky ruled out “gifting” Russia any land. Al Jazeera defence editor Alex Gatapoulos, observed, “I’m not sure what Ukraine has to offer in terms of territory. Russia has it all and is slowly winning this conflict, albeit at a great cost.”Crippling sanctions. Stop the money flow. End the senseless destruction and death.
