Commentary

On this 23rd anniversary of Ukrainian independence being marked on 24 August 2014 the Ukrainian people continue to face Russia’s unrelenting aggression as it attempts, yet again, to suppress the will of the Ukrainian people to live in a free, democratic and Euro-integrated Ukraine. When Ukraine’s previous governing authorities refused to sign the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement as planned in November 2013, the Ukrainian people made their aspirations known and, at great cost, they brought about a historic change, including the signing of this agreement on 27 June 2014...

The Ukrainian Canadian Congress and all its member organizations extend greetings to the Ukrainian Canadian community and all those celebrating the anniversary ofUkraine’s independence. The road to an independent nation was arduous and hard-won, but an unwavering belief in democracy, justice and a brighter future is what enabled the citizens ofUkraineto achieve freedom. Having endured centuries of foreign occupation and oppression, the will of the Ukrainian people was finally realized on August 24, 1991, when the Parliament of Ukraine restored independence and declaredUkraine's territorial integrity...

Since the onset of the crisis,Canada has stood proudly alongside the people ofUkraineand taken important steps to support the country, including imposing sanctions against those responsible for the growing conflict. On August 7, 2014, in response to Ukraine’s request for non-kinetic (non-lethal) security assistance, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that a Canadian CC-130J Hercules will take off on August 7, in the first of a series of flights, from Canadian Forces Base Trenton to deliver important non-kinetic security assistance which will help the country secure its eastern border against Russian aggression...

On May 31st, 2014,Ukraine’s beloved poet, Taras Shevchenko was exalted in a ceremony to commemorate the 200th anniversary of his birth. The monument was created by the L’viv-born sculptor Oleh Lesiuk and it features a bronze bust, which rests atop a granite pedestal. The monument is a fitting tribute to the poet’s legacy as a celebrated cultural icon whose literary heritage is regarded as forming the foundation of modern Ukrainian literature and to a large extent, the modern Ukrainian language. Situated on Rue d’Auteuil, in close proximity to Québec’s National Assembly and the city’s famed citadel, the monument is the latest addition to a site that attracts both locals and tourists who stop to reflect on the legacy of the influential figures who are featured along the bustling promenade and how they’ve left an indelible mark on humanity...

Shevchenko has had his admirers in every generation. There are many stories of people identifying themselves as Ukrainians after reading him. Today, once more Ukrainian patriots are picking up his works and rereading them. Even those whose ethnic origins are not Ukrainian. Why is this? One reason is because these people are appalled by the extremely biased attitudes expressed toward Ukraine and Ukrainians in much of the Russian press. There is a rapidly growing understanding among Ukrainian citizens of all ethnic origins, races, and religions that Ukraine is indeed a country with a sense its own place in the world, a country committed to the universal values of respect for self and others...

Canada's Minister of International Trade had undertaken a 3 day (July 9-12) trade and development mission to Ukraine. He has met with key Ukrainian Government officials, business groups and civil society with a view to expanding bilateral trade, how to deepen our partnerships in energy, mining, education, aerospace, agriculture and agrifood and to look at win-win opportunities between Canada and Ukraine's new government. "Minister Fast has an ambitious agenda matching trade enhancement and promotion between Canada and Ukraine, with a deep understanding of those key sectors where Canada and Ukraine can further enhance their relationships," stated Ukrainian Canadian Congress Executive Director Taras Zalusky, who accompanied Fast as part of the official delegation...

BCU Financial Group, the corporate umbrella of Buduchnist Credit Union (BCU) -- Ontario's largest ethnic-based credit union and Canada's largest Ukrainian financial institution, was invited to join the Hon. Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade Canada's Minister of International Trade on a three-day trade development mission to Ukraine, from July 9-12. BCU was represented in the delegation by its President and CEO, Oksana Prociuk...

Serious sources are predicting that Russian president Vladimir Putin will send his forces into Ukraine — possibly under the guise of peacekeeping forces, as he did in Georgia in 2008. The chief of Ukraine’s national-security council has stated that the risk of Russian incursions is very high. And a Moscow source of mine with links to the Russian foreign ministry — who has previously provided accurate information — has said that Putin is considering sending in his forces within the next few days. A member of the German Bundestag, Marieluise Beck, has said that senior Russian diplomats have warned Berlin that Moscow’s military will enter Ukraine regardless of whether the EU imposes a third tier of sanctions against Russia...

The professor at the Royal Military College of Canada and former chair of the Ukrainian Canadian Civil Liberties Association (UCCLA), has taken it upon himself to lead the way and organize a stirring tribute to mark the memory of the thousands of “enemy aliens” who had their civil rights stripped, and were subsequently imprisoned during Canada’s first national internment operations of 1914-1920 following the implementation of the War Measures Act. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the War Measures Act — adopted on August 22, 1914 during the First World War. It was used to imprison Ukrainian-Canadians, and other ethnic groups including German, Hungarian, Serbian, Croatian and Armenian communities, into one of Canada’s 24 internment camps...

Move over boys, because the Winnipeg Sun has a woman at the helm. Daria Zmiyiwsky has been named the Sun's new publisher. This is the first time in the Sun's 34 years that a woman has taken on this role. "When they offered me the position and said you'll be taking over Winnipeg and you'll be the first (female) publisher, I just went, 'Nellie McClung would be so proud of this moment,'" she said. Channelling the woman who championed women's right to vote in Manitoba, Zmiyiwsky said she wants to bring new energy and ideas to the Winnipeg Sun...