Trudeau to add Ukraine to weapons export list

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the Canadian government will place Ukraine on a list of countries to which it will permit certain weapons exports.

Trudeau made the comments after a meeting with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in Toronto on Friday.

Placing Ukraine on the Automatic Firearms Country Control List would allow exporters of certain prohibited firearms, such as automatic weapons, to submit permit applications to the government for the export of the weapons to the country. There are 39 countries on the list.

Former prime minister Stephen Harper’s government began consultations on placing Ukraine on the list in 2015, but the process has not moved forward since the Conservative defeat in 2016.

The move comes as both leaders continue to denounce Russianbacked fighters who are involved in a conflict in eastern-Ukraine.

Trudeau said Canada continues to stand with Ukraine against the “illegal, illegitimate incursion of Russia into Ukrainian territory.”

“Absolutely,” Trudeau said when asked if Ukraine would be added to the list. “(It’s) something we’re moving forward on. There’s a process and a series of criteria that have to be reached but it is something we’re working on.”

Trudeau said Canada has also sent both police and military personnel to Ukraine to train local officers and soldiers.

“It has significantly reduced the casualties for the soldiers who pass through this training,” Poroshenko said. “(It) significantly improves the co-ordination and tactics we learn. This is a win, win, win, co-operation because our Canadian partners also learn from us the unique experience from the Russian hybrid warfare.”