TORONTO: The National Executive of the League of Ukrainian Canadian Women welcomes the Statement issued by Prime Minister Stephen Harper announcing an escalation of punitive measures targeting the Putin regime.
Today’s announcement includes economic sanctions and travel bans against specific individuals, as well as economic sanctions against entities which pose a threat to the peace and stability of the Ukrainian state, most importantly, a broad range of entities related to various sectors of the Russian economy. Concrete steps are being taken by the Canadian government to target a wide spectrum of entities within Russia’s arms industry, as well as its financial and energy sectors. The substantive, new measures impose restrictions on the issuance of new financing for the designated energy and financial entities.
We also welcome the sanctions imposed on the Putin-backed terrorist groups known as ‘The Donetsk People’s Republic’ and ‘The Luhansk People’s Republic.’ These militant groups, with direct support from Russia, have terrorized the local civilian population, brutally attacked the armed forces of Ukraine, kidnapped and threatened journalists, human rights activists, and international monitors deployed to the region.
“The complicity of the Putin government in the downing of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 last week, has sadly served as a wake-up call for the international community. The Kremlin not only continues to support the illegal flow of arms and missiles from Russia into eastern Ukraine, Russian troops are able to fire surface-to-air missiles, rockets and artillery from inside Russia at Ukrainian positions, thereby attacking a sovereign European country,” Lisa Shymko, President of the LUCW, stated today.
“Russia’s actions in Europe now represent a real threat to global security and the international community must rally together to impose harsh punitive measures against Vladimir Putin and simultaneously provide Ukraine with the defence training and lethal weapons it needs to defend itself against Russia’s intensifying military aggression.”
We applaud the Canadian Government for its unwavering position in support of democracy and stability in Ukraine, including assistance to strengthen Ukraine’s economy, agricultural sector, and judicial reform.
Canada is among the strongest international supporters of Ukraine's European aspirations and its democratic and economic reform processes. Ukraine is one of the 25 countries of focus that receive 90 percent of Canada’s bilateral development assistance.
