January 24, 2015 - Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird today issued the following statement:
“Canada is outraged at today’s indiscriminate rocket attacks against the city of Mariupol by the Russian-backed insurgents in eastern Ukraine, leaving dozens of innocent civilians dead.
“These attacks come after the insurgents announced their intention to launch a new offensive, in flagrant violation of the Minsk ceasefire agreements reached in September.
“This disgraceful act further demonstrates Russia’s ongoing campaign of aggression against Ukraine and its shocking willingness to sacrifice civilian lives to achieve its illegitimate goals.
“We call on Russia to immediately respect the ceasefire, immediately end its support of these proxies and allow peace to return to eastern Ukraine.
“As Canada mourns the victims of the shameful attacks on Mariupol, we, in consultation with the Ukrainian government, our partners and our allies, are examining our options for enacting further measures to dissuade Russia from continuing along this destructive path. Canada also fully supports the Government of Ukraine’s call for an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council.”
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