As Ukraine faces crucial decisions for the future of its four-year fight to defeat Russia’s full-scale invasion, several nations are gathering in Canada for the Halifax International Security Forum to discuss the importance of democracy — including high-profile critics of the Kremlin.

One of those dissidents, Vladimir Kara-Murza, was sentenced to 25 years in a Siberian gulag for criticizing Putin’s war on Ukraine. He joins The House to discuss the war in Ukraine, the possibility of a Russian democracy and why he won’t stop advocating for political prisoners who are still behind bars.

Then, former chess grandmaster and Putin-critic Garry Kasparov tells host Catherine Cullen why he’s just as concerned about the prospects for democracy in the United States as in Russia.

Plus, the King and Queen of Sweden were in Ottawa this week as part of a charm offensive as the Nordic country pitches Canada on its Gripen fighter jet. Meanwhile, the home of the F35 maker, the United States, isn’t pleased that Canada’s been distracted by a new suitor. CBC’s Murray Brewster joins The House to break down the drama.

After that, Vancouver area MP and former environment minister Jonathan Wilkinson weighs in on whether he could support lifting the federal tanker ban to ship more bitumen from B.C.'s coast as Ottawa and Alberta work away at a pipeline agreement.

Finally, Canada’s victims of crime advocate Benjamin Roebuck explains why he believes survivors of sexual violence are being systemically betrayed by the criminal justice system, detailing how allegations are often disbelieved and cases are regularly delayed or dropped.

This episode features the voices of:

Vladimir Kara-Murza, vice-president of the Free Russia Foundation
Garry Kasparov, founder and chairman of the Renew Democracy Initiative
Murray Brewster, CBC News’ senior defence correspondent
Jonathan Wilkinson, Liberal MP for North Vancouver-Capilano
Benjamin Roebuck, federal ombudsperson for victims of crime

Owen Matthews, Bijan Omrani, Andrew Hankinson, Laurie Penny & Andrew Watts