Ukraine

Larysa Zariczniak

Kyiv, Ukraine

On 26 January 2015 the Canadian Minister of International Trade, Ed Fast, came to the offices of Patriot Defence in Kyiv to announce that Canada will be contributing $1 million for medical support initiatives.  Patriot Defence - a volunteer-run humanitarian initiative - will benefit from this funding, which will help support their tactical medical training and the procurement of their Individual First Aid Kits (IFAKs).  On display at the announcement were 100 kits, earmarked as the first of many NATO standard IFAKs to be handed out to trained Ukrainian military combatants “which save lives in Ukraine just like they save lives in Canada.”

These 100 IFAKs will be handed out next week during Patriot Defence’s weekly training of Ukrainian combatants in life-saving tactical medicine.  The sessions, which take place throughout Ukraine and simulate realistic battlefield situations, teach soldiers how to address the three main preventable causes of death on the battlefield: severe bleeding, collapsed lungs, and blockage of the airway.  Dr. Ulana Suprun (Head of the Humanitarian Initiative of the Ukrainian World Congress) expects that Canada will do much more in its support of Ukraine, as such training is essential for the country to win the war. 

Canada’s Ambassador to Ukraine, Roman Waschuk, also thanked the volunteers in Canada and Ukraine for their enthusiasm and dedication, insisting that it is because of them that international cooperation between the two countries will continue well into the future. 

Minister Fast stated that Canada continued to be steadfastly opposed to the “illegal occupation of Ukraine,” adding that Ukraine will be able to continue to count on Canada for its unwavering support.  In addition to the $1 million in medical aid, Canada will provide an additional $52 million for the recovery and sustained growth of Ukraine’s currently beleaguered economy.  Canada stands ready to provide technical assistance to Ukraine, especially in the agricultural sector, given its status as a large producer of agrarian products.  In particular, Canada will share its technical knowledge in areas like storage facilities and harvest profitability.

In response to the attack on Mariupol, Minister Fast emphasized that the Canadian government is “outraged at the atrocities committed [there] and…will continue to stand with Ukraine.”  He added that Canada will also continue to provide non-lethal aid to Ukraine, and that in collaboration with its allies, it will also consider further sanctions on Russia.  Ending his speech, Minister Fast thanked the entire Ukrainian Canadian community as they have “stepped up in support of Ukraine,” saying that he is very proud of this support.

The press conference, held in the Patriot Defence office, demonstrated the level of cooperation between government and volunteer organizations, as well as the level of the Ukrainian diaspora’s dedication to the development of Ukraine.  

For more information on the work of Patriot Defence or to donate, please visit: patriotdefence.org.