Marco Levytsky, NP-UN Western Bureau.
Looking back at 2017, we can say that it has been a year of positive developments for Canada’s Ukrainian Community.
The first major accomplishment was the renewal of Operation Unifier by the government in early March.
Though it took some time for the final decision to be made, it was made and the results have been quite encouraging.
Ukrainians are gaining confidence and are now able to pass the training, which they have learned from their Canadian counterparts, on to their own rank and file.
And, one place where great strides have been made is the medical program. During a tour of the Yavoriv Training Centre, where 200 CAF members are training Ukrainian military personnel fighting pro-Russia terrorists in the Donbas, under Operation Unifier, we were shown many of the items that have come from Canada. Some of the items which have proven to be most successful are IFAKs, or Individual First Aid Kits, provided by the Canada Ukraine Foundation. They are among the biggest life-saving devices.
The second big accomplishment was the passage of the Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement (CUFTA), which entered into force on August 1. The CUFTA opens a new chapter in relations between Canada and Ukraine. It will significantly increase bilateral trade, to the benefit of the economies of both countries. The agreement includes the phase-out of tariffs to create a duty-free environment. It includes the elimination of tariff and non-tariff barriers; protection of intellectual property; environmental and labour standards; and provides enhanced market access for goods and services.
Yet a third, was the passage of Bill, S-226, the Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act (Sergei Magnitsky Law), which became law on October 18. This law, sponsored by Senator Raynell Andreychuk, provides “for the taking of restrictive measures in respect of foreign nationals responsible for gross violations of internationally recognized human rights.”
“Bill S-226 places a discretionary tool at the government’s disposal to apply sanctions against foreign nationals responsible for, or complicit in, significant acts of corruption and gross violations of internationally recognized human rights,” she explains. “Through the application of asset freezes and travel bans, Canada will no longer be used to enable or shelter foreign nationals responsible for these violations.”
Quite significantly, both the CUFTA and the Magnitsky bill were passed unanimously in both chambers of Parliament. This is a remarkable display of how support for Ukraine and our community here crosses party lines and how successful the advocacy efforts of our community leaders have been in establishing a broad consensus.
We also have very strong representation in Cabinet with Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland, in the Senate with Senator Andreychuk and in each of the three party caucuses. We would say that the three individuals who stand out as the leaders in their respective caucuses when it comes to Ukrainian issues are Borys Wrzesnewskyj in the Liberal, James Bezan in the Conservative and Linda Duncan in the NDP.
And there are two very recent encouraging developments that need mention.
The first is the report of the House of Commons Standing Committee on National Defence, which has called for the provision of lethal weapons to Ukraine and the strengthening of sanctions against Russian officials responsible for Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Some of the other critical recommendations also include that the Government of Canada strengthen Canada's contribution to military, police, justice, and anti-corruption training beyond the expiration of current funding agreements and that the Government of Canada advocate for a United Nations peacekeeping mission in Ukraine that respects its territorial integrity.
And finally, just on December 13, the Government of Canada added Ukraine to the Automatic Firearms Country Control List (AFCCL), which will provide Ukraine with the opportunity to access state-of-the-art Canadian-made equipment and contribute to Ukraine's ability to defend itself against Russia's ongoing invasion.
Elsewhere, 2017 has been a year of very mixed results. South of the border, Ukraine does enjoy strong support within both houses of the U.S. Congress, and with some members of the Trump Administration, most notably Defence Secretary Jim Mattis and UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, but President Donald Trump remains a huge question mark. His bromance with Vladimir Putin, his erratic behaviour, his refusal to accept the word of his own intelligence agencies over that of Putin in regards to Russia's meddling in the U.S. election, as well as the mounting evidence of his extensive financial ties with Russian oligarchs, can only lead to great foreboding.
In Europe, the election of Emmanuel Macron as President of France and the re-election of Angela Merkel as Chancellor of German are positive developments, but the threat of the Putinist Far-Right remains on the horizon.
And in Ukraine, while there have been some positive steps forward as far as reform is concerned, corruption remains endemic, and the political personality conflicts that have earned Ukraine an historical reputation as one of the most anarchic political cultures in the civilized world, continue to plague the country, the latest being the soap opera starring Petro Poroshenko and Mikheil Saakashvili.
Yet despite all that, the people of Ukraine manage to stumble on – as they always have in the face of some of the most catastrophic historical experiences that any nation could every be confronted with. This is a glowing tribute to their own resilience. Today this resilience finds its mark in the growth of the power of civic society in Ukraine – in sharp contrast to the slavish adherence to autocracy that marks the Russian political psyche. This is one development that has the greatest potential for hope in the future.
But, for us, in Canada, we have a lot to be both proud of and most certainly grateful for, as this year draws to a close. Compared with the rest of the world, our blessings are most abundant.
So with that parting thought, we wish all our readers and supporters a Very Merry Christmas and a Most Happy New Year.
Христос Раждається!
Славім Його!
Share on Social Media
