Putin talks back to Canada: sees room for compromise on Arctic, not on Ukraine

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia – Russian President Vladimir Putin says he can understand Canada’s concerns about Arctic sovereignty, but the Canadian stance on Russian involvement in Ukraine is far harder to accept.

Putin took questions from senior representatives of international wire services, including The Canadian Press, at a meeting in St. Petersburg on Saturday.

He says there is room for compromise in discussions about who owns what in the Arctic, and he points to Russian talks with Scandinavian countries as a model.

But when it comes to Canada chastising Russia’s involvement in Ukraine, Putin is far less conciliatory.

He suggests Canada is too far away from the region to justify its meddling, and that Russia is acting within the scope of international law.

Putin says that when it comes to the conflicts there, he will not run away from anyone, including Canada’s prime minister.