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Russia’s current invasion of Ukraine happened because the world did not do enough to respond when they did before, former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton said in Ottawa.
And failure to stop Russia now would also be “catastrophic in terms of unleashing Chinese aggression,” he said.
“It’s in our interest to stop them,” said Clinton, a keynote speaker at the Liberal policy convention in Ottawa.
Clinton shared the stage with Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland for a wide-ranging discussion focused on threats to democracy and human rights in Canada and the United States.
Clinton said when Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Georgia in 2008, “we all sat down, we gave a speech about it.”
“We, you know, declared our absolute opposition, but nobody did much. Consider the lesson that Putin took from it.”
Then he attacked Ukraine for the first time in 2014, “and again it was ‘Oh my God, we wish they didn’t do it, it’s unfortunate, but we have other things we need to focus on, other places we need to pay attention to.”
“And the message that Putin is taking is that he can get away with attacking other countries and disrupting elections and buying ways to influence them all in a grand effort to restore Russia’s greatness.”
Ukraine must win, Clinton said
The only solution, he said, is that Ukraine must win and that means those same countries must send everything they can to Ukraine to help.
Freeland agreed and said it’s not just about Russia.
“The strongest deterrent message that can be sent to China is the Ukrainian victory that tells all the dictators of the world, ‘You know, democracy is ready to fight and democracy can win.
Clinton also warned that Canada would not be immune to efforts to abrogate human rights, and in particular, reproductive rights, which are taking place in the United States.
Last year, the US Supreme Court overturned the Roe v Wade abortion rights ruling that allowed abortion to be legal.
“Make no mistake about it, in our country there is a very important historical struggle, about whether we move forward or the clock is turned back,” Clinton said.
And he says that some of the debate is fueled by misinformation and disinformation campaigns, including by politicians who are beginning to see democracy as a distraction from getting what they want.
“And I would predict that you’re going to have some, you know, in the next election any time for you because there are forces in your own country that are trying to figure out if they can turn back the clock and maybe turn it back,” Clinton said.
Clinton was received enthusiastically by a crowd of about 3,500 people in town for the Liberal convention. Another 500 or so are expected online.
This is the first private policy convention for the Liberals since 2018 and likely their last before the next election. Many Liberals want the convention to help the party regroup and recharge after a tiring and difficult few years.
Jean Chretien rallied the Liberals
He got some Friday from former prime minister Jean Chrétien, who before Clinton took the stage, led the Liberals down memory lane of the legacy left by the Liberal government.
He listed medicare, official language rights and gun control laws among them, but got the biggest and loudest ovation for the legalization of same-sex marriage.
Liberals, says Chrétien, will never lose their social conscience.
“If you stick to your values, you can’t go wrong,” he said. “It’s been my experience all my life.”
Including Clinton’s Liberals in the program was a way to draw more people to the convention, and give them a sense that they were getting their money’s worth.
But the day before Clinton’s speech, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau borrowed from some of Clinton’s messaging as a presidential candidate in 2016, trying to draw a sharp contrast between what he said was a positive and progressive Liberal vision for Canada’s future – and a darker, more expansive one. divisive offered by his main political rival, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.
The narrative echoes the Democratic approach to challenging former president Donald Trump, who defeated Clinton in the 2016 election and is now running again on the Republican ticket.
Liberal MP Rachel Bendayan, who introduced Clinton and Freeland, said it appeared Clinton came because Freeland called to invite her personally. Freeland and Clinton have been close since meeting when Clinton was US secretary of state.
“She has inspired many women to get involved in politics so that their voices can be heard and will speak to many women at the convention,” Bendayan said in an interview.
Trudeau was absent Friday evening, boarding a plane to fly to London for the coronation of King Charles on Saturday.
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