Weekly Review (Feb 16-22, 2025)

Canada and our neighbour

  • Best hockey game (speaking of of recent events) Canada convincingly showed its hockey superiority over the United States, Finland and Sweden. Team Canada defeats Team USA 3-2 in extra time in the 4 Nations Championship.
  • The US President makes the most significant change of course in US foreign policy for decades. This is one of the conclusions after Trump’s remarks in recent days about Ukraine and its president Zelensky, whom he called a “dictator” and blamed for starting a full-scale war.
  • Trump repeats his call for a “51st state” , and complains about Canada’s military spending. Last Thursday, February 13, the US president repeated his threats to annex Canada.
  • Trump claims that the US subsidises Canada to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars every year. This has become a big reason for his targeted attacks on trade with Canada. But are Trump’s claims true?
  • Canada exports more goods to the US than it imports, but this relationship works well for the American economy and should not be seen as a subsidy, explained CBC News.
  • Canadian energy imports into the US accounted for almost the entire US trade deficit with Canada. If energy imports are removed, the situation changes dramatically, creating a US trade surplus with Canada of around CAD$ 60 (US$ 45 billion).
  • Ukrainian newcomers in Canada are struggling to get their passports and visas renewed at a time when the war in Ukraine is not yet over.
  • When the war started in 2022, the Canadian government offered temporary asylum to Ukrainian nationals through the Canada-Ukraine Emergency Travel Authorization (CUAET) programme, which allowed them to work in Canada without being granted refugee status.
  • The Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) has called for an automatic three-year visa extension for all Ukrainians under CUAET, but in January Canada’s Immigration Minister said he would not implement a blanket extension.

Politics in Ontario

  • Ontario provincial elections will be held on February 27 . The website www.elections.on.ca provides information on voting locations.
  • As voting day approaches, Elections Ontario is working to turn around a voter turnout that set a record low in 2022 – only 43% voted.
  • All four candidates said they would not build housing on Toronto’s Greenbelt.
  • Mike Schreiner from the Green Party focused his time on the February 17 debates, formulating his party’s policy. Even if it didn’t make a strong impression, it will help improve his efforts to add one or two more Green seats to the Ontario Parliament.
  • Crombie turned directly toNDP voters: ‘If you want to change the health care system and you want a family doctor, we have to change the government. That is why I say to all NDP supporters, if you voted NDP before, I want you to vote Liberal. That way we can vote together, we can change the government”.
  • Ford could not name a price for his campaign promise: a tunnel under the 401. According to expert cost estimates, it could be a $100 billion idea.
  • Ford says that the PC is the party with a vision (the party of visionaries).
  • The NDP platform in Toronto includes a pledge to restore rent and vacancy control by banning landlords from raising rents above a certain level and stopping rent increases between tenancies. In Toronto, around 50% of people are renters.
  • NDP Stiles on education in Ontario: parents with kids in school know that his government isn’t doing enough.
  • After the debate, Ford left the building without taking questions from journalists. This meant that Ford did not take questions from journalists in Ontario for more than a week with an election campaign lasting only four weeks.

The War in Ukraine

  • Zelensky replied on Wednesday that Trump lives in Russia’s disinformation sphere. In a poll published on Wednesday by the Kiev International Institute of Sociology, around 57% of Ukrainians support President Zelensky.
  • US Special Envoy Kellogg continues his visit to Ukraine and meets with the President of Ukraine. The meeting comes after new insults by the US President against the Ukrainian President and new Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities.
  • The British Prime Minister announces his country’s readiness to send troops to Ukraine to guarantee security. The issue came to the fore after President Trump’s contacts with his Kremlin friend, and efforts to bring peace to Ukraine.
  • Ukrainian forces successfully repelled another Russian attack in the Kharkiv region. They also destroyed several units of armoured vehicles.
  • In the direction of Kharkiv, near Vovchansk, the Russian army continues to conduct unsuccessful offensive operations using armoured vehicles to attack Ukrainian defensive positions.
  • Kherson was also attacked, with three aerial bombs fired by Russian troops. One hit an apartment building in the central part of the city. A man’s remains are recovered from the rubble.
  • Cars full of drones, charging stations, computers and more. Another monthly shipment from Latvia has arrived in Ukraine. At least €200 000 worth of donations – from companies, donors and volunteers.

Latvia and the European Union

  • Test runs of the Valmiera-built Patria 6×6 armoured personnel carriers have started on Latvian public roads, the Ministry of Defence has announced. After full testing, Patria will be handed over to the National Armed Forces.
  • The Lithuanian Foreign Minister warns that Russia may give an ultimatum in the Ukraine talks to restore NATO borders to their 1997 status. This would mean demanding that countries like Poland and the Baltic States leave the Alliance. Such requirements were included in the Kremlin’s proposal for a security treaty at the end of 2021.
  • European countries discuss the possibility of the US withdrawing its troops. Up to 100 000 American troops are currently deployed in Europe, most of them in Germany, Italy and the UK. The announcements on troop withdrawals are vague and, even if such a decision is taken, it will not mean the end of NATO.
  • Several European leaders have called on Europeans to start taking care of their own security, stressing that we can do it. Europe also pledges to continue its support for Ukraine.
  • To mark three years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Saeima adopts a statement expressing solidarity with the Ukrainian people and support for Ukraine until its victory.
  • The Latvian government has committed to spending at least 4% of Latvia’s gross domestic product (GDP) on defence starting next year, and 5% of GDP on defence in the following years.
  • The Saeima approved in first reading a ban on Russian and Belarusian citizens purchasing real estate in Latvia. The idea behind this proposal is based on national security interests
  • Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine almost three years ago, the Latvian public and businesses have donated EUR 31.3 million to support Ukraine on the portal Ziedot.lv.
  • Latvian tourist establishments welcomed 2.7 million foreign and domestic guests last year, a 10.9% increase compared to 2023. The number of foreign tourists has also increased by 14.3%, but this is below pre-pandemic levels. Guests spent 4.7 million nights in tourist accommodation last year, an increase of 7.4% compared to 2023. Local tourism also continues to increase.

Jānis Lielāmers

LNAK Affairs

News sources: CBC News,

www.ir.lv, www.lsm.lv