Brian Mulroney vs Yevgeny Primakov

Mulroney's government negotiated the Canada-US Free Trade Agreement (CUSFTA), which eliminated tariffs and trade barriers between the two countries. The deal was controversial in Canada but passed after a federal election fought largely on the issue.

Mulroney's government implemented a 7% federal Goods and Services Tax (GST) to replace the hidden Manufacturers' Sales Tax. The GST was deeply unpopular and contributed to the Progressive Conservative Party's electoral collapse in 1993.

Mulroney signed NAFTA alongside US President George H.W. Bush and Mexican President Carlos Salinas de Gortari. The agreement expanded CUSFTA to include Mexico, creating a trilateral trade bloc that reshaped North American commerce.

Primakov was appointed Director of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) after the collapse of the USSR. He reorganized the agency and maintained its capabilities during the chaotic transition.

Primakov became Russian Foreign Minister under President Yeltsin. He pursued a multi-vector foreign policy, opposing NATO expansion and strengthening ties with China and India.

Primakov was appointed Prime Minister during the 1998 financial crisis. He stabilized the economy and restored public confidence, but was dismissed in 1999 by Yeltsin.

While flying to the US for a meeting, Primakov learned of NATO's bombing of Yugoslavia. He ordered his plane to turn back over the Atlantic, a dramatic protest against the intervention.