Conflict In Ukraine: Benoit Charette Demands An Apology From Green Party Of Quebec Leader

The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine is causing a lot of strong reactions around the world, Quebec included. On March 4, the leader of the Green Party of Quebec, Alex Tyrrell, stirred up quite the controversy after sharing his opinion regarding the matter on Twitter.

Alex Tyrrell's tweet ruffled so many feathers that the Minister of the Environment and the Fight Against Climate Change, Benoit Charette, responded directly to him and demanded an apology.

"The most recent Russian demands for a neutral and non-nuclear status for Ukraine, its demilitarization, its denazification, as well as the recognition of Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk are reasonable demands that I believe should be accepted," Alex Tyrrell said on Twitter before sharing even more of his thoughts.

"I, therefore, call on the Canadian, American and NATO government to stop sending arms to Ukraine, support serious negotiations with Russia now to allow for immediate de-escalation and to save lives," Tyrrell wrote.

His thoughts resulted in a number of strong reactions from many Quebecers, accusing Alex Tyrrel of being "pro-Russian propaganda" and "disgrace to the environmental movement."

The tweets garnered so many responses that Benoit Charette chimed in, too!

"We all miss the mark sometimes. Now you've missed it solidly...The only thing to do in these circumstances is to acknowledge it and apologize, especially to Ukrainians and Jews here and elsewhere," said the Minister for the Environment and the Fight Against Climate Change.

Alex Tyrrel later went back on his word, and while he didn't apologize, he clarified what he was trying to say.

"To be clear, I condemn the Russian invasion and the violence on both sides of this conflict. I am a pacifist who opposes war. I am speaking out for peace in order to avoid further violence, bombing, killing and fighting in Ukraine," he wrote.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.