June 14, 2014 - Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird today issued the following statement:
“Canada strongly condemns the shooting down of a large military transport plane in eastern Ukraine, reportedly killing 49 people.
“On behalf of all Canadians, I extend my condolences to the families and friends of those who lost their lives.
“Canada also strongly condemns the incursion into Ukrainian sovereign territory of tanks and armoured personnel carriers flying the Russian flag, and calls for Ukraine’s territorial integrity to be respected.
“As G-7 leaders announced last week, Russia has a responsibility to stop the flow of weapons and militants across the border and end its military aggression. It is inexcusable that the Putin regime has failed to do so to date.
“We will continue to work closely with our allies and partners, in close consultation with Ukraine, to determine how best to support stability and security in the region in the face of Russian destabilization and provocation.”
Prime Minister Stephen Harper spoke yesterday with Barack Obama, President of the United States. The leaders discussed the events that have been taking shape over the past few days in Ukraine and agreed to continue to stay in touch on these issues.
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