Kyiv, Ukraine - 6 June 2015
Thank you Mr. President, Petro.
Thank you once again for your warm welcome here, not just to me but to all of my colleagues, my parliamentary colleagues, Ted Opitz, Raynell Andreychuk, James Bezan, Wladyslaw Lizon, and to the delegation of the Ukrainian-Canadian community that’s also with me.
This is my fourth visit to Ukraine and each time I have experienced the warmth of your welcome.
I deeply appreciated your hospitality and our earlier in depth discussions as well as, of course, my meeting with Prime Minister Yatsenyuk.
Mr. President, I stood here with you almost a year ago to the day, a year ago tomorrow, when you assumed your high office in this great country.
I was here then to demonstrate Canada’s solidarity with the people of Ukraine.
A year later, I’m proud to be here with you again to demonstrate our continued resolve in the face of the enormous challenges you and all Ukrainians are confronted with.
Tomorrow, as you mentioned, I’ll be meeting with leaders of the G-7 in Germany and, while Ukraine may not have a seat at the table, I can assure you, Mr. President, that the situation here will be very high on Canada’s agenda.
Our position remains very clear.
We do not accept the illegal invasion and annexation of Crimea and parts of eastern Ukraine.
Canada will never, never recognize the illegal occupation of Ukrainian territory by Russian forces.
And, as I’ve said before, whether it takes five months or fifty years to reverse, we will never accept that sovereign borders can be redrawn by force.
We stand with our allies in calling on Mr. Putin to end his invasion of eastern Ukraine; to withdraw his soldiers, tanks and heavy weapons; and to cease providing military aid to separatists.
We support current efforts for a diplomatic solution as well as the implementation of internal agreements.
However, in order for such an implementation to be considered successful, Mr. Putin’s soldiers and their separatist allies must stop the fighting.
Canada will not, and the world must not, turn a blind eye to the near daily attacks that are killing and wounding Ukrainians here on their own soil, soldiers and civilians alike.
The UN estimates that since the start of the conflict almost 6,500 have been killed and nearly 16,000 wounded.
Not to mention the civilian airliner also shot down.
And until there is real peace, until occupying forces are withdrawn, until Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty is restored, there must be ongoing consequences for Mr. Putin’s regime.
Economic sanctions must remain in place.
Canada has already imposed sanctions on more than 270 Russian and pro separatist entities and individuals and we are willing to work together with our allies to add new sanctions should the circumstances require it.
Canada is also providing Ukraine with financial assistance.
Last year, in fact, Canada more than doubled our historical annual bilateral development support to Ukraine.
To be more precise, since January 2014, the Government of Canada has announced almost $700 million in additional assistance for Ukraine.
During this visit, I’ve been pleased to announce support for police reform.
We’re also providing a range of technical assistance to aid your efforts at reform, Mr. President, and I want to commend those efforts, made in extremely difficult circumstances, and urge you to stay the course.
Canada is also seeking to help Ukraine’s security services and military personnel.
We’ve also provided Ukraine with a wide array of non-lethal military equipment and, in cooperation with the United States, the Canadian Armed Forces will soon deploy to the western part of this country to begin training Ukrainian forces.
Mr. President, these measures are all tangible expressions of Canada’s support for Ukraine, of our support for your right as an independent, democratic country to choose your own future.
And I must say this: Canadians remain deeply impressed and inspired by the resilience, the courage, and the determination of the Ukrainian people to build a peaceful, free, democratic and prosperous future, whatever obstacles lie in your path.
As I said, Mr. President, exactly a year ago, almost exactly a year ago, I was here in your Parliament in Kyiv to witness you take the oath of office, to, quote “protect the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.”
I remember that you said then, and let me quote again, “Nobody will turn Ukrainians into the slaves of criminals or the servants of a colonial power.”
The world, you said, supports us.
A few months later, you spoke just as eloquently and with the same determination before our own Parliament.
Mr. President, again today I’m at your side, as you and all Ukrainians face grave challenges, to once again express the full solidarity and support of the Canadian people.
Slava Ukrayini!
