ON EVE OF G-7 SUMMIT PRIME MINISTER STEPHEN HARPER VISITS UKRAINE, REAFFIRMS CANADA’S SOLIDARITY WITH THE EMBATTLED COUNTRY
On 6 June, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper visited Kyiv to reaffirm Canada’s solidarity and ongoing support for Ukraine. Significantly, the visit – Harper’s third since January 2014 – took place on the eve of this year’s G7 Summit in Schloss Elmau, Germany.
During the visit Prime Minister Harper met with President Petro Poroshenko and Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk to discuss the international community’s response to Russian aggression and Canada’s continued support for Ukraine’s ambitious economic and democratic reforms.
“Canada strongly condemns Russia’s aggressive actions in eastern Ukraine and its illegal annexation of Crimea, and will continue to stand with the people of Ukraine in the face of the ongoing violation of the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” stated Harper. “I am glad to have had the opportunity to speak with President Poroshenko ahead of the G-7 Summit. Our exchanges will help inform discussions among leaders in Germany so that together we can take appropriate action against the Putin regime.”
Amongst items agreed upon by the leaders was the need to meet the Putin regime’s ongoing aggression with firm resolve, including the application of economic sanctions. It was also agreed that obligations under the Minsk agreements must be fulfilled by both Russia and Ukraine. Regarding the Ukrainian economy and reforms, the leaders emphasized the need for Ukraine to continue undertaking its ambitious reforms and for the Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement to be concluded in the near future. To facilitate this objective, Prime Minister Harper announced that Canadian negotiators will return to Ukraine on June 15 with the intent of concluding negotiations as soon as possible.
Joining the Prime Minister in Ukraine were MPs James Bezan, Ted Optiz, and Wladyslaw Lizon, Senator Raynell Andreychuk, and a delegation from the Ukrainian Canadian community. The delegation, which was comprised of community leaders and stakeholders, accompanied Prime Minister Harper to several of his official visits while in Kyiv, including to the Police Academy of the Ministry of Interior and the Presidential Administration Building, where Harper held a joint press conference with President Poroshenko.
Members of the delegation included: Paul Grod, President of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress; Richard Hareychuk, President, Armiya SOS Canada; Victor Hetmanczuk, President of the Canada Ukraine Foundation; Kalyna Kardash, Contributing Editor, Ukrainian Echo newspaper and Canadian Coordinator, Guardian Angels Ukraine; Jurij Klufas, Executive Producer, Kontakt Ukrainian Television Network; Zenon Potichnyj, President, Canada-Ukraine Chamber of Commerce; Oksana Prociuk, CEO, Buduchnist Credit Union; Lisa Shymko, President of the League of Ukrainian Canadian Women and Chair, Guardian Angels Ukraine; Krystina Waler, Director of Humanitarian Initiatives for the Canada Ukraine Foundation.
At the Police Academy, Prime Minister Harper was accompanied by Ukrainian Prime Minister Yatsenyuk. While touring the facilities, Harper was shown samples of non-lethal military aid which Canada had sent to Ukraine and which is now being used at the front. He also took the opportunity to announce new projects to strengthen democracy in Ukraine and help reform its security sector. Through these projects Canada will help Ukraine build a new civilian patrol police force through activities focused on community policing, in-service training, public outreach and engagement, and providing the new force members with uniforms and equipment. In addition, Canada will also deploy up to ten Canadian police officers to train this new police force as well as provide strategic guidance to other security institutions.
“I was pleased to announce new bilateral initiatives with Ukraine…which will enhance policing in the country, helping local authorities promote safety and security,” said Harper.
Canada will contribute a total of $5 million to the police reform initiative in Ukraine. Canada’s role in the initiative, made possible by support provided by Foreign Affairs, Trade, and Development Canada’s Global Peace and Security Fund, is scheduled to run from May 2015 until March 2016, and will take place in partnership with the United States and the Ukrainian Ministry of Interior. The project’s objective is to change the way that police interact with the public and handle crime prevention and emergency response.
In the afternoon, Prime Minister Harper held a roundtable discussion with the Ukrainian Canadian delegation accompanying him. The engaging and open discussion allowed community leaders and stakeholders to ask the Prime Minister direct questions, as well as air their concerns regarding Ukraine, particularly as they related to the G7 Summit and discussions the Prime Minister was scheduled to have there.
The delegation also had the opportunity to meet with some members of Ukrainian Parliament at a reception hosted by the Canadian Embassy. The reception provided an opportunity for the Ukrainian Canadian representatives to share, discuss, and identify potential areas of co-operation and aid work.
Prime Minister Harper’s official visit ended with a joint press conference together with President Poroshenko. The two leaders reaffirmed the close co-operation between Canada and Ukraine, especially in the field of combating Russian aggression in Ukraine’s eastern territories.
“Our position remains very clear,” said Harper, “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.”
“And until there is real peace,” he continued, “until occupying forces are withdrawn, until Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty is restored, there must be ongoing consequences for Mr. Putin’s regime.”
As President Poroshenko himself pointed out, over the past year and a half Canada has backed up such rhetoric with concrete action. Sanctions have been imposed against more than 270 Russian and Ukrainian individuals and entities tied to the crisis in Ukraine, made significant contributions of non-lethal military assistance, drastically enhanced its bilateral development assistance for projects to support the undertaking of Ukrainian economic and governance reforms, contributed hundreds of observers to support free, fair, and democratic elections, and provided $400 million in low-interest bilateral loans to Ukraine.
Furthermore, last week Harper announced additional economic sanctions and travel bans against three Russian individuals, and economic sanctions against 14 Russian entities, as well as an import/export ban covering illegally-occupied Crimea.
“We have felt the very strong and powerful support of Canadians and the Canadian government,” said Poroshenko during the press conference, acknowledging that this support has been “extremely important” for Ukraine.
Poroshenko also acknowledged the significant aid Ukrainian Canadians have been providing Ukraine since the onset of the crisis. “I am very thankful that the Ukrainian community in Canada does not stand by, but does extraordinary, powerful, and effective work to help Ukraine. We feel your support, it is very important to us,” he said.
In an effort to help build the defensive capacity of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Canada will soon be deploying approximately 200 Canadian Armed Forces personnel to Ukraine to develop and deliver military training and capacity-building programs for Ukrainian forces personnel.
“I am convinced that [this] recently announced initiative will strengthen the defensive capacity of our forces,” said Poroshenko.
While the main focus of the Canadian Armed Forces training in Ukraine will be on tactical soldier training, other training will include explosive ordinance disposal and improvised explosive device disposal, military policing, medical treatment, flight safety, and logistics system modernization.
With Harper set to participate in the G7 Summit in Germany the next day, the two leaders discussed the importance of the West maintaining a united front in the face of Russian aggression in Ukraine. “I would like to thank [Mr. Harper] for the open and frank discussions, [and acknowledge] how important it was that they occurred right before the G7 summit,” stated Poroshenko.
“While Ukraine may not have a seat at the [G7] table…the situation here [in Ukraine] will be very high on Canada’s agenda,” Harper assured the Ukrainian President.
A look at the G7 Summit’s Leader’s Declarationdemonstrates Harper’s success in this regard. In the document, in which “Finding a Solution to the Conflict in Ukraine” constitutes the first section under Foreign Policy, the leaders collectively declare their “condemnation of the illegal annexation of the Crimean peninsula by the Russian Federation and reaffirm [their] policy of its non-recognition.”
The document goes on to recognize Russia’s prominent role in the conflict and the recent increase in fighting along the line of contact, stating that “the duration of sanctions should be clearly linked to Russia’s complete implementation of the Minsk agreements and respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty,” while adding that the leaders “stand ready to take further restrictive measures in order to increase cost on Russia should its actions so require.”
Following Prime Minister Harper’s visit to Ukraine, Canadian Defence Minister Jason Kenney visited Canadian Armed Forces personnel in Yavoriv, Ukraine, who are observing Ukrainian forces - currently receiving training by British and American forces - to further refine the training package that Canadians will provide to the Ukrainian military starting in July.
In addition to meeting with President Poroshenko and other government officials in Kyiv, Minister Kenney announced more than $15 million in additional Canadian support for democracy and institution building in Ukraine on behalf of International Development Minister Christian Paradis. In particular, $3 million will go towards funding to support improved investigative reporting in Ukraine to expose corruption and bring about accountability, and $12.4 million will support fundamental judicial reform in Ukraine to help Ukrainian courts become more independent, fair, and effective.
On 6 June, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper visited Kyiv to reaffirm Canada’s solidarity and ongoing support for Ukraine. Significantly, the visit – Harper’s third since January 2014 – took place on the eve of this year’s G7 Summit in Schloss Elmau, Germany.
Amongst items agreed upon by the leaders was the need to meet the Putin regime’s ongoing aggression with firm resolve, including the application of economic sanctions. It was also agreed that obligations under the Minsk agreements must be fulfilled by both Russia and Ukraine. Regarding the Ukrainian economy and reforms, the leaders emphasized the need for Ukraine to continue undertaking its ambitious reforms and for the Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement to be concluded in the near future. To facilitate this objective, Prime Minister Harper announced that Canadian negotiators will return to Ukraine on June 15 with the intent of concluding negotiations as soon as possible.
Joining the Prime Minister in Ukraine were MPs James Bezan, Ted Optiz, and Wladyslaw Lizon, Senator Raynell Andreychuk, and a delegation from the Ukrainian Canadian community. The delegation, which was comprised of community leaders and stakeholders, accompanied Prime Minister Harper to several of his official visits while in Kyiv, including to the Police Academy of the Ministry of Interior and the Presidential Administration Building, where Harper held a joint press conference with President Poroshenko. 
At the Police Academy, Prime Minister Harper was accompanied by Ukrainian Prime Minister Yatsenyuk. While touring the facilities, Harper was shown samples of non-lethal military aid which Canada had sent to Ukraine and which is now being used at the front. He also took the opportunity to announce new projects to strengthen democracy in Ukraine and help reform its security sector. Through these projects Canada will help Ukraine build a new civilian patrol police force through activities focused on community policing, in-service training, public outreach and engagement, and providing the new force members with uniforms and equipment. In addition, Canada will also deploy up to ten Canadian police officers to train this new police force as well as provide strategic guidance to other security institutions.
Prime Minister Harper’s official visit ended with a joint press conference together with President Poroshenko. The two leaders reaffirmed the close co-operation between Canada and Ukraine, especially in the field of combating Russian aggression in Ukraine’s eastern territories. 
