Ukraine banking on Canadian support
Ukraine’s government has “great hopes” that the U.S. and Canada will provide it with defensive weapons in its war with Russia, said Ukraine Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman in an interview Monday.
Today, he will meet Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has pledged to send defensive weapons but only in concert with the United States.
“The Russians will have less likely opportunities to attack with such weapons in our possession,” he said. “These weapons will be used as a deterrent, not used for attack. This is about protection and defence.”
The Trump government has dragged its feet on the Ukraine file as controversy swirls around Russian influence, but Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has appointed a special envoy to Ukraine, Kurt Volker, who regards the Russian incursion as a war and said Monday the administration is “seriously considering” sending such weapons.
U.S. Secretary of Defence James Mattis, in Kyiv a few weeks ago, signalled his support for increased U.S. assistance.
“This is a mandatory element to de-escalate the situation,” said Groysman. “We would like to see a political and diplomatic solution, but a strong deterrent from our friends in Canada and the United States will add an additional argument to stop the violence.”
He also said Canada is in a unique position to help Ukraine because Canada is the chair of the G7 in 2018.
The Ukraine-Russian conflict is Europe’s only war and has taken a huge toll on both countries. Ukraine has lost tens of thousands of lives and nine per cent of its territory and Russia has been battered with a series of damaging economic sanctions as a result of its invasion. The eastern portion of Ukraine and its province of Crimea have been occupied since April 2014 when the Kremlin invaded immediately after Ukrainians rose up against their corrupt, pro-Kremlin President Viktor Yanukovych.
Europeans have brokered truce agreements, but these have been abrogated by Russian militants who are backed by 5,000 Russian army troops and hundreds of tanks inside Ukraine’s boundaries.
Every night small arms fire, machine-guns, rocketpropelled grenades and other ordnance are launched by Russian militants, killing an average of 65 Ukrainian soldiers per month and wounding 200 monthly.
Canada has played an important role in helping Ukraine cope with its challenges, with funds, loans, military advisers and equipment as well as a free-trade agreement. Ukraine is the biggest country in Europe and its citizens support joining Europe not Russia.
Groysman is also meeting with Canadian business and community leaders in order to explore development opportunities and assure investors that reforms, such as an independent anti-corruption court to be launched in 2018, will protect their activities from the systemic corruption of the past.