Ukrainian groups withdraw court challenge of nixed turbine export to Russian pipeline

OTTAWA -

A Ukrainian-Canadians group has withdrawn a court challenge of Ottawa's decision to export gas turbines for a Russian pipeline after the federal government nixed the plan in December.

The federal Liberals had approved export permits last July to allow a Montreal company to repair turbines for a natural gas pipeline operated by Russian state-owned energy giant Gazprom.

Siemens Energy was to repair up to six turbines for the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which carried natural gas to Germany, though only one of them was in Canada.

The Toronto-based Ukrainian World Congress sought a Federal Court order to nullify the decision, arguing that it broke sanctions law and that a ruling could dissuade Ottawa from taking a similar move in the future.

But Ottawa cancelled the exemption in December, after the September explosion of the pipeline that required the turbines in what Swedish investigators called an act of sabotage.

A lawyer for the Ukrainian diaspora group said it considered proceeding with a case in an attempt to set a legal precedent, but decided that it would be too complicated since the decision has already been withdrawn.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 31, 2023.