Professor stands by attending controversial Russian conference

www.cbc.ca/new...
A University of Manitoba professor is under fire for participating in an event organized by a Russian think-tank on Canada's sanctions list for spreading disinformation - during which, critics say, she helped Moscow's propaganda efforts against Ukraine.
Radhika Desai and her husband accepted an invitation to participate in the Valdai Discussion Club, all expenses paid, in Sochi, Russia, earlier this month. The forum is billed as a wide-ranging conference about international issues. Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at it every year.
Desai then made international headlines when she asked Putin for his opinion on the scandal involving the Ukrainian veteran of a notorious Nazi unit, who was honoured in the House of Commons during a Sept. 22 visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The exchange played into Putin's oft-repeated but unsupported claim that Russia is trying to "de-Nazify" Ukraine.
"Her actions are morally reprehensible," said Andres Kasekamp, chair of Estonian studies at the University of Toronto and the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy.
"She gave [Putin] the big gift," of being able to say Canada has further justified the invasion, he said. "Which is pretty horrendous."

[@kristinheartknaan]

It’s our 🇨🇦 govt that deserves to be investigated!

[@kirklandday]

One word: McCarthyism

[@NickDoroshenko]

Absolute embarrassment to Canada. Nothing like a social professor being on the wrong side of history. Shame

[@GetFochD]

Go salute some Naz1s