Your World Tonight - Ukrainians reflect on three years of war, Liberal leaders debate, Canadians criticize Wayne Gretsky and more

Episode Date: February 23, 2025

On Monday, it will be three years since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in Ukraine. Negotiations to end it are in the works, but those on the front lines have their doubts. You'll also hear how Ukrainian-Canadians are marking the anniversary.Also; This country will have a new prime minister, in two weeks time. That's when the Liberal Party selects its next leader. The four remaining candidates are set to square off this week in back to back debates.And: Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky is revered in this country. But after he didn't show Team Canada much love at the Four Nations final against the U.S. - you'll hear why some Canadian hockey fans want to put the Great One in the penalty box.Plus: Israel sends tanks into the Occupied West Bank, Elon Musk's email to federal employees, The use of AI in Oscar nominated films, and more.

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Explore over 890,000 titles on Audible.ca by signing up for a free 30-day trial and start listening today. This is a CBC Podcast. Hi, I'm Stephanie Skanderes and this is your World Tonight. Volodymyr Zelensky says he would give up his presidency if it means peace for Ukraine and NATO membership. Monday marks three years since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion. You'll hear how Ukrainian Canadians are marking that anniversary. Also on the podcast, it's two weeks until the Liberals elect a new leader. We'll update you on the state of the race. Plus...

It's just confusing which side he's on. And I think he's such an icon for Canada. You would think that people like that would rally behind the country right now. Why some Canadian hockey fans want to put the great one in the penalty box. On Monday, it'll be three years since Russia's President Vladimir Putin announced what he called a special military operation. Moments after that speech the invasion of Ukraine began and still it drags on. Negotiations to end it are in the works but those on the front lines in Ukraine have their doubts.

Chris Brown is in Kiev with this report. Chris Brown is in Kiev with this report. Hardly anyone in Ukraine believes Vladimir Putin wants peace, especially after Russia launched the largest drone attack of the war overnight on Kiev and other cities. But Donald Trump claims he does, and so on Sunday, President Vladimir Zelensky simultaneously tried to repair his strained relationship with the US president as he laid down some new red lines. We're partners and I want Trump to be on our side, said Zelensky. Trump has called Zelensky a dictator and has openly questioned his leadership abilities.

But Zelensky also said Ukraine would not agree to Trump's demand to hand over a reported $500 billion in rights to critical minerals. The U.S. president now considers previous military assistance to be a loan that must be repaid. Zelensky says that's not the case. In simple words, it's a loan with 100% interest, he said. When the US sells weapons to Israel, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, do they earn a 100% profit? The back and forth over the terms of peace is being followed closely by injured Ukrainian

soldiers such as Serhii. Our CBC News team met him at a Kiv rehab clinic. A Russian artillery shell ripped apart his leg during a battle in the Donetsk region. Many surgeries later, 15 centimeters of his leg bone is missing. I became a disabled veteran so our country and my child can live and feel safe, he said, rather than waiting for our neighbor to attack again. Of course, we need security guarantees, he said.

Another soldier from the clinic who goes by the moniker Historian had his ankle shattered by a Russian drone in December. Trump is mistaken, and Putin will definitely lie to him, he said, but if Trump pulls US support he says it will have far-reaching consequences. We use everything from machine guns to grenade launchers, he said, and after I was injured I was even evacuated from the battlefield on an American Bradley fighting vehicle. The clinic is run by an American volunteer, Hushong White, who's lived in Ukraine for 30 years.

She says many here feel despair at what she sees as U.S. pressure tactics. And all of a sudden blaming Ukraine that started it, excuse me, that's like totally a lie. It's just all just incredibly disheartening. Something else Zelensky said is that he'd be willing to step down as president if that would guarantee peace. Russia has long wanted Zelensky out and Donald Trump has started suggesting Zelensky is an illegitimate leader because Russia's attacks have deferred national elections.

Tomorrow, the third anniversary of Russia's invasion, Zelensky will host a major gathering of world leaders here in Kiev, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to be here. With many in Europe now seeing the U.S. as, at best, an unreliable ally, or at worst, a potential partner of Vladimir Putin, it could be a pivotal moment for the continent's security. Chris Brown, CBC News, Kyiv. Canadians are showing solidarity with Ukraine, holding rallies in cities big and small as part of a global day of action.

Vanessa Lee has that part of the story. Glory to Ukraine! Glory to Ukraine! A sea of blue and yellow flags fills the streets of downtown Montreal as people gather to show their solidarity with Ukraine. I'm a patriot and I'm Ukrainian. Nazar Nobunovsky is 15. He came to Canada just before the war began

and worries about his grandmother who is still in Kiev. He holds a sign that says stop Russian aggression. Can you help us more please? Like we're very grateful for all the support but we need a bit more because our situation right now is not that good. From Charlottetown to Victoria, Canadians are standing behind the war-torn country as it defends its sovereignty. No I'm not Ukrainian. You don't need to be Ukrainian to know what's right. Mirjana Pobric explains why she attended a rally on Parliament Hill. Justice, our values, democracy and freedom and equality for all nations,

all people in the world and if anyone in this moment is defending that, it's Ukraine. We need to stand with them and support them as much as we can. And as long as it takes. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Canada, which has one of the world's largest Ukrainian populations, has committed over 19.5 billion in assistance and has welcomed more than 300,000 Ukrainians. Canadians are also on the ground in Ukraine providing humanitarian aid. Paul Hughes left Calgary in March of 2022. And our focus continues to be helping displaced people as much as absolutely possible.

He founded a group known as Hugs, helping Ukraine grassroots support. He says nothing will stop him, not even a Russian drone attack earlier this month that destroyed the Children's Resource Centre he helps run in Kharkiv. This is unfinished business so we can't we can't stop. We can't stop now we're not in that position we don't have that luxury. Ukraine doesn't have that luxury. A country refusing to give up. And supporters from around the world who won't let them.

Vanessa Lee, CBC News, Montreal. Outside of Rome's Gemelli Hospital, Catholics stand with their heads bowed, moving rosary beads between their fingers, praying for Pope Francis, who remains in critical condition inside the hospital. I'm very sad, says Elvira Romana. For me, he's a special person. I have no words. The prayers are being heard far beyond Rome. There are more than a billion Catholics around the world

and tributes are happening everywhere, from the Philippines to Kenya and Argentina. Where dozens attended a special mass in the Buenos Aires neighborhood where Pope Francis was born in 1936. Here in Canada, CBC News spoke to parishioners at St. Michael's Cathedral Basilica in Toronto. I'm crying. He's our Papa. I hope, you know, like he will survive it. We hope he pulls through and, yeah, we're just all praying. So we are concerned everywhere around the world, I'd say. He has the keys of the heaven. For our Catholics, we cannot live without Pope.

We want him to stay more longer, long life, long happiness, and forever, if possible. In its latest update, the Vatican says Pope Francis is alert, but his blood tests show early kidney failure, which it says is under control. Still ahead, some film performances, enhanced by by AI are up for Oscars. The big question, is that just another kind of movie magic? Or is it cheating?

There's a lot of criticism and debate around that. You'll hear all about it later on your world tonight. In Germany, supporters of the centre-right Christian Democratic Union celebrate the party's success in the national election. Early results give the CDU the win, with leader Friedrich Merz on track to become Germany's next Chancellor. But now we will talk to each other and it's about as fast as possible. That's Merz claiming victory and promising to put together a new coalition government as quickly as possible, a process that'll take weeks. Merz is also vowing to leave the AfD out of any coalition talks.

That anti-immigrant, Euro-skeptic party came in second place, doubling its vote share from 2021. That's the strongest showing for a far-right party in Germany since the end of the Second World War. Outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz has conceded defeat with his Social Democrats projected to finish third. This country will have a new Prime Minister in two weeks' time. That's when the Liberal Party chooses its next leader.

The four remaining candidates square off this week in back-to-back debates. JP Tasker reports. I'm ready to fight for Canada. Liberal leadership contender Christia Freeland is trying to hold off a Mark Carney coronation, releasing a new ad that plays up her prairie roots and her hard-scrabble early life on the family farm in Alberta. You learn you have to do things for yourself to be independent, that it's okay to challenge authority. She's facing challenges of her own in this race to replace Justin Trudeau.

Who is ready? Who is ready to stand up for Canada with me? Carney has a commanding lead in money and endorsements. He's pulled in $1.9 million in donations, and 83 Liberal MPs are backing his candidacy. When I put my hand up a month ago, it's because I felt that the country needed some big changes. Much more of a focus on the economy.

While Freeland has released a flurry of policy proposals, her figures are a fraction of Carney's, with about $600,000 raised so far and 26 MPs pulling for her to win. Now the race is entering its crucial next chapter. The four remaining candidates will face off in two debates, one in French on Monday and another in English on Tuesday. Carney would have the most to lose because he off in two debates. One in French on Monday and another in English on Tuesday. Carney would have the most to lose because he's in the lead. Lori Turnbull is a political science professor at Dalhousie University. She says the stakes are relatively low for Carney in these debates.

He doesn't have to come out and absolutely wow everyone. He has to come out and get to the end without messing up. But for Freeland and the other main contender, MP Carina Gould... If they're going to make an impression to take this away from a first ballot win for Carney, this is the moment to do it. One candidate, former MP Ruby Dalla, was barred from running last week. Today she announced she will appeal that decision. Please do not disqualify me.

It will not send the right message for our party to immigrants and for young people and women. The debates come as polls show the liberals are back in contention after months on the back foot. It could be a much more competitive election than I think any of us were expecting. Eric Grenier is a polls analyst. He's tracking the pullback in conservative support since US President Donald Trump's inauguration. Over just really six, seven weeks,

we've gone from the Conservatives being able to win 200, 230 seats to now it's an open question whether they could actually win a majority government. Pollster David Coletto says talk of American tariffs and Trump's threats to Canadian sovereignty have scrambled the electoral equation in this country. It's much more about the threat that Donald Trump is posing to Canadian sovereignty have scrambled the electoral equation in this country. It's much more about the threat that Donald Trump is posing to me, my life, my family. The winning Liberal candidate will be announced on March 9th and they'll have an important

choice to make. Go to an election right away or recall Parliament and take on Trump in this terrifying fight. JP Tasker, CBC News, Ottawa. Federal workers in the U.S. are bracing for another week of firings. Elon Musk is now ordering government employees to list their accomplishments by email, and if they don't, it'll be considered a resignation. Katie Simpson in Washington tells us how that request is being received. I think American voters like the intensity and the focus that they've seen from 30-some

days of this administration. Republicans in Congress are cheering on Elon Musk, Ohio's Jim Jordan among the lawmakers embracing the federal government purge. Oklahoma Senator Mark Wayne Mullins adding his support too, saying this is all in the pursuit of savings. The majority of the American people want to make sure that their taxpayers are being used correctly. Musk, the world's richest man who is leading the gutting of the U.S. government, is intensifying his efforts.

Just days after wielding a chainsaw while on stage at a political rally, This is the chainsaw for bureaucracy. Chainsaw. He announced federal workers will have to send an email with five bullet points, justifying their accomplishments or else quit. Writing on social media, consistent with President Trump's instructions,

all federal employees will shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week. Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation. Senator Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat, says he expects this will spark a fresh wave of legal challenges. It is illegal. And the actions he's taking are illegal. And we need to shut down this illegal operation.

Some government managers, including at the State Department and FBI, have told employees to ignore the request, though it remains unclear if others will be required to follow Musk's latest demand. Right now what he's doing is slashing important public services that help every American in order to finance a tax cut for the super rich, for Elon Musk and the billionaires. At least one Republican is pleading with the Trump administration to change how the purge is executed. It's a false narrative to say we have to cut and you have to be cruel to do it as well. We can do both. Senator John Curtis of Utah supports the cuts and says the American people voted for dramatic change,

but wants things to be done in a more humane way. If I could say one thing to Elon Musk, it's like, please put a dose of compassion in this. These are real people. These are real lives. President Donald Trump continues to have confidence in Musk, writing on social media, if anything, he'd like Musk to get more aggressive. The Pentagon is expected to be hit with at least 5,000 job cuts this week, with additional agencies and departments also bracing to be targeted. Katie Simpson, CBC News, Washington. Israel is sending tanks into the occupied West Bank for the first time in two decades.

The latest move comes as Hamas refuses more ceasefire talks with Israel until Israel releases hundreds of Palestinians from its prisons. Michelle Song has the details. We wait for them to hug them and see them, says Fatiha Abu Abdullah. She waited into the night outside a hospital in Gaza to hug her son again. He was supposed to be among 600 Palestinian prisoners released in exchange for six Israeli hostages who were returned the day before. But now the mother-son reunion is paused as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delayed the release of the largest group of prisoners yet.

Netanyahu is always stalling. They handed him his prisoners of war, so why would he cancel the deal? Why? She says. Just a week before the first phase of the ceasefire was set to expire, casting doubt to an already fragile truce, Netanyahu accused Hamas of acting in bad faith, demanding it stops what he calls the cynical use of hostages for propaganda purposes. Hamas denied the accusations and condemned the delay. Netanyahu says he is prepared to resume fighting in the Gaza Strip at any moment, furthering questions of whether the deal would continue. But U.S. Special Envoy Steve Woodcoff told CNN today it would. We're hopeful that we have the proper time to finish off, to begin phase two and finish it off. As the fate of the war in Gaza is held in the balance,

Netanyahu's military is applying more pressure in the occupied West Bank, sending in tanks for the first time in two decades. Dahlia Scheinlin is an Israeli political analyst. The first time Israeli tanks have been ordered into refugee camps in major Palestinian population centers. These Palestinian cities were supposed to be nominally under Palestinian authority control for both civil and military affairs. Israel also showed its military strength in Lebanon as tens of thousands of mourners in Beirut attended the funeral for the deceased Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike.

Four Israeli fighter jets flew over the stadium. The crowd chanted in response. Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz says the planes were meant to send a message. You will specialize in funerals and we will specialize in victories. Michelle Song, CBC News, Toronto. You're listening to Your World Tonight from CBC News. And if you want to make sure you never miss one of our episodes, follow us on Spotify, Apple, wherever you get your podcasts.

Just find the follow button and lock us in. For a while now, we've been hearing about fears across several industries that artificial intelligence will replace human workers. Those concerns were at the center of last year's Hollywood strikes. So pretty unsurprisingly, when it was reported that multiple nominees at this year's Oscars used AI, well, that was controversial. But is it cheating? Máctigébre Celassa tells us why the Motion Picture Academy will soon have to

answer that question. They do not want us here. Adrienne Brody is up for Oscar gold for his performance as a Hungarian Holocaust survivor in The Brutalist. The film is up for 10 Academy Awards including Best Picture. But there's been some recent backlash after news that the production used artificial intelligence. The movie's editor used a software called ReSpeacher to make the Hungarian dialogue more accurate. Another Oscar contender, Amelia Perez,

made use of this technology too, increasing the vocal range of the lead, Carla Sofia Gascon. When it comes to the limited use of AI in both films. They've just used like a very small percentage. Mark Byron Dallas, an accent and dialect coach in Toronto, isn't too worried about the use of AI in these two films, but he has concerns about its use elsewhere. So in some industries, this is already a huge issue

because we're seeing in parts of the industry like voiceover actors, commercial voice actors, gaming industry as well. AI is already taking over certain parts of that. You'll never be defeated. Concerns about AI were a driver of Hollywood's 2023 strikes during which writers and actors negotiated some protections, including requiring an actor's consent and compensation to mimic their likeness. But now the academy behind

the Oscars may be ready to weigh in too. It's considering making a change, requiring films to disclose if AI was used, according to Variety magazine. I do think that that influence AI has on the film industry, it's only going to grow, especially as the technology gets better. Rachel Ho, a film critic from Toronto, is all for transparency when it comes to AI and awards. I do think that directors, actors, studios, it is a responsibility to them to give audiences kind of the whole picture. We use AI a little bit on the visual effects side.

Michael Forsey is with Rolling Pictures, a post-production company in Toronto. He's reminding audiences that Hollywood movie magic has always included manipulation tools. You're taking away pimples all the time. You're taking away, you know, you're making people look younger, old, I mean, you know, it's all cheating, right? Like it's cheating for creative benefits. But some of that creativity may call for more clarity come April. That's reportedly when the Academy is expected to roll out

new guidelines for Oscar submissions. Makda Gabrassalas, CBC News, Toronto. Wayne Gretzky is, as you know, revered in this country. So when the Great One didn't show Team Canada that much love at the Four Nations Hockey Final against the U.S., a great many Canadians decided they're done with him. As Sam Sampson explains, Gretzky's friendship with Donald Trump is also raising questions about his loyalty. Let's meet Canada's honorary captain, Wayne Gretzky! Emerging from Team USA's bench, Wayne Gretzky steps onto the ice at the Four Nations final in Boston, throwing the American team a thumbs up as he passed by on his way to represent

Canada as the team's honorary captain. Though red and white came out on top in this politically charged game aired by Sportsnet, Gretzky's actions hit a sore spot. Bruce Arthur is a columnist for the Toronto Star. Wayne Gretzky is a sainted figure in this country for good reason. He's the greatest hockey player in the sport that we care the most about. But how close he is to Donald Trump at this moment and him being chosen as an honorary captain for this event,

those two things didn't add up for me. Gretzky and U.S. President Donald Trump have spent time together at Trump's home in Mar-a-Lago. Gretzky had a prime seat at Trump's January inauguration. The U.S. president has even floated Gretzky should run for prime minister of Canada, quote, soon to be governor of Canada, a nod to Trump's desire to annex Canada and make it the 51st state. The NHL tells CBC News Gretzky was chosen as Team Canada's honorary captain because, quote, he's one of the greatest and most respected players in the history of the

game and a proud born and raised Canadian end quote. There's a lot of people who say keep politics out of sport but when the sitting US president is making posts about the hockey game that's happening and calling Canada the 51st state like you just can't ignore it. Tyler Yeremchuk is with Oilers Nation an outlet that covers the Edmonton Oilers. You know these players are going to have their politics but when it's Wayne Gretzky and he's supporting Donald Trump in this way publicly that's where it gets disappointing because he's held to such a higher standard.

Especially in Edmonton. He was the franchise, the Edmonton Oilers Wayne Gretzky. The Great One helped win four Stanley Cups for this city. Gretzky is part of Edmonton's cultural fabric, yet Oilers fans seem torn. It's just confusing which side he's on and I think he's such an icon for Canada. You would think that people like that would rally behind the country right now. Personally, it doesn't bother me all that much. I think, especially on his legacy as a hockey player and what he did for the city, I don't think it really, it doesn't bother me all that much. I think like, especially like on his legacy as a hockey player

and what he did for the city, I don't think it really, it doesn't mean much to me. He's abandoned Canada. Hockey fan Grant Preet's stance is clear. He has more than 7,000 signatures on his online petition to change the name of Wayne Gretzky Drive, a thoroughfare that runs through a section of Edmonton. I don't think that we should be treating him as a hero by having things named after him and having shrines for him. CBC News has reached out to Wayne Gretzky through his representation. We have yet to receive a response.

Sam Sampson, CBC News, Edmonton. This is Aysen Abie, the OG Cree singer-songwriter from Sandy Lake First Nation in Ontario, who's been making a huge mark on the Canadian music scene. One of the last Junos he picked up was Songwriter of the Year for this, Here and now. Well now he's off on his first headlining tour and he's been carefully choosing his opening acts. Indigenous musicians from across the country selected after they submitted a performance video and a paragraph about why they make music. Aysen Abbey told CBC News he wants to use his platform to pay it forward. Yeah, you know, I grew up without electricity in the bush, you know, and that's where I

started making music. So like, I had no idea how to get into the music industry, right? If I can offer any insight to any of these artists on their journeys of trying to make a go at this. Here's one of the artists he's chosen. Dee Dee Austin will open four shows in Nova Scotia and PEI. I've been living divided, late night suffering silence, two coins over my alley door. Sebastian Gaskin will play in Toronto. Aysen Abbe says it's all part of creating a supportive network. Finding these artists, sharing space with them, and just building the next generation

of this music community across our country. So here's more from the artist helping lead that next generation. This is the latest single from Aysen Abbey, Edge of the Earth, On Your World Tonight. I'm Stephanie Scanderis. Thanks for listening. Walked away from all the love That I kept running to Needed something new No stranger in the window seat The humming words on the crowded street Walk into the edge of the earth And I still haven't thought of you

The sound of the bells in this old city street Are as broken as promises we tried to keep Keep waiting and waiting for my heart to stop If get beating so long I forgot