Weekly Review (Feb 24–Mar 2, 2025)
Canada and the World
● Trump says that the 25% tariff on most Canadian goods will take effect on March 4. The announcement comes after weeks of chaotic messages from the US President.
● Trudeau said that Canada is preparing to retaliate if he continues with these “unjustified tariffs”. Canada will have an immediate and extremely strong response, just as Canadians expect.
● Canada is expected to go ahead with its plan to levy tariffs on $150 billion worth of American goods when the US President’s threatened tariffs come into force.
● While Trump says he is concerned about Canada’s allegedly lax approach to fentanyl and immigrants, data at the border shows that Canada has reason to be more concerned about what comes into Canada from the US.
● Anita Anand,Canada’s Minister of Internal Trade, informed the provinces and territories that the federal government will remove more than half of internal trade barriers to make Canada less dependent on the US.
Politics in Ontario
● Doug Ford’s Ontario Conservatives with a rare election result received a majority three times in a row. It is the first is the first time since 1959 that a party leader has won three consecutive majorities. The party has won at least 80 seats, giving it a large majority.
● Ontario NDP secured enough seats to remain as the province’s official opposition, with leader Marit Stiles. Although with slightly reduced numbers in the Ontario Parliament, the NDP is likely to win 27 seats, one less than they had in the previous legislature. Stiles said she would work with Ford because of the looming US tariffs.
● The Ontario Liberals successfully won 14 seats in the Ontario Parliament, up from nine seats previously. Ontario Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie failed to win her constituency, losing to a PC rival.
● Meanwhile, Green Party leader Mike Schreiner won re-election, and retained the two party seats that theh had gained in 2023 seat. The Greens failed to get their much-coveted third place.
● Ontario turnout was 45.4%, slightly higher than in 2022, which had the lowest voter turnout in Ontario’s history.
National Politics in Canada
● The Liberals overtake the Conservatives in the polls for the first time in years. The Liberal Party, with Trudeau at the helm, was destined for a historic collapse. However, according to the latest data, the Liberals have stunningly returned to the top of the polls. The Liberal edge over the Conservatives is small but growing.
● Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives were five points lower in the poll than in the last election, a situation that Ipsos attributed to the growing anti-Tump sentiment in Canada and in anticipation of a new Liberal leader after Trudeau’ s resignation.
● Ipsos conducted its survey from February 21 to 24. However, it was not the only market research firm to find that the Liberal Party has taken the lead in the federal vote share. EKOS Politics also published a new poll showing a similar shift.
In Latvia
● The Pride of Latvia. The Academy Awards, or Oscars, were presented in Hollywood. This award ceremony was special for Latvia, as Gints Zilbalodis’ film “Stream” received the Best Animated Feature Film award, becoming the first Latvian film to win the prestigious award. Congratulations!
● Saturday, February 1, 62 young soldiers took their oath at the foot of the Freedom Monument in Riga.
● On Friday morning, the Latvian State Radio and Television Centre completed the restoration of a marine fibre-optic cable that had been damaged, probably on behalf of the Russians.
● The Saeima on Thursday approved in concept a ban on tourism services in Russia and Belarus. The draft decision also provides for Prime Minister Evika Siliņa (JV) to talk to the heads of government of the Baltic States to introduce such a ban in all three Baltic countries.
● Wounded Ukrainian soldiers who have come to Latvia for medical treatment want peace, but they don’t really believe it can happen. One of them is in such a serious condition that he was treated immediately on arrival. The fourth year of full-scale war has begun, and the wounded say they are eager for peace. However, they have a hard time believing it.
● Although US military support has not stopped, Trump’s position on Kremlin propaganda makes Ukrainians realize that they need to rely on themselves and their European friends. An extended article is available at ir.lv, prepared by Anastasija Ringis.
The War in Ukraine
● On Friday (28 Feb), during a meeting with the Ukrainian President, the US President and Vice President publicly rebuked Zelensky for his ingratitude for US support and unwillingness to end the war. The Ukrainian President replied that he thanked the American people for their support but that Putin should not be trusted.
European leaders and the commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces expressed their support for Zelensky.
● On Sunday, March 2 in London, the British Prime Minister announces that Britain and France will work with Kiev on a plan to stop the war, which will be presented to the US.
● People take to the streets in the US. Following the disrespectful treatment of Zelensky by Trump and Vance, protesters have taken to the streets in several US cities in Vermont, New York, Los Angeles and Boston in support of Ukraine. Hundreds of residents in the town of Waitsfield, Vermont, protested on Saturday against Vance, who had planned to go skiing with his family.
● On February 24, The UN General Assembly approves a resolution calling for the immediate withdrawal of all Russian troops from Ukraine. Both Russia and the US voted against the resolution.
● The UK announced the broadest sanctions against Russia since 2022. The EU, Australia and New Zealand also announced new sanctions against Russia.
● On Wednesday,February 26, Russia fired drones at Kharkiv and Kiev, causing widespread damage. A drone strike kills a prominent Ukrainian surgeon and his journalist wife near Kiev.
● North Korea has sent more troops to Russia, South Korea’s intelligence service has announced.
● Ukraine claims that at least a third of the North Korean troops stationed in the Kursk region have fallen or been injured. Since February, North Korean troops have returned to the front. However, it is not known how many additional troops have been deployed.
Jānis Lielāmers
LNAK Affairs
News sources: CBC News, www.ir.lv, www.lsm.lv
