June 16, 2024

Toward a just and lasting peace in Ukraine

LUCERNE, Switzerland, June 16, 2024 /CNW/ – When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, it unleashed an attack on democracy, freedom, and the rules-based international order. Despite Russia’s relentless war of aggression, Ukrainians are standing strong, and Canada and our international partners proudly stand with them in defence of their homeland. Ukraine’s fight is a fight for international law, for the United Nations Charter, and for innocent civilians, including children, who deserve to live in peace.

At the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Apulia, Italy, earlier this week, Prime Minister Trudeau announced key measures to impose costs on Russia for its illegal and unjustifiable war against Ukraine. Canada is sanctioning individuals and entities related to Russia’s military-industrial complex as well as those involved in sanctions circumvention and propaganda operations. We are contributing $5 billion to G7 Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration Loans for Ukraine, which aims to bring forward future revenues from frozen Russian sovereign assets, to provide Ukraine with approximately $69 billion (US$50 billion) as it continues to defend its freedom, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. Prime Minister Trudeau also highlighted that the first four of 50 Canadian-built armoured combat support vehicles have departed London, Ontario, and are being delivered to Europe to support Ukraine’s Armed Forces.

As their fight for freedom continues, Canada and our international partners are once again reaffirming our solidarity with Ukraine and our support for a just and lasting peace, with the needs of Ukrainians at its core.

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today participated in the Summit on Peace in Ukraine, in Lucerne, Switzerland, and announced a $52.4 million package of measures in support of Ukraine.

Canada’s newly announced package of measures in support of Ukrainians includes $15 million to:

Support vulnerable children, youth at risk, and the reintegration of displaced children returning to Ukraine through improved child protection services and family-based care options.Improve access to justice for survivors of war crimes.Increase families’ and civil society’s awareness about the missing persons process.Support male survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, including prisoners of war.

Due to Russia’s renewed attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure this year, millions of civilians are left without electricity, water, and heat. That’s why the Government of Canada is investing $20 million to:

Support Ukraine’s urgent efforts to replace damaged energy equipment and infrastructure.

To help improve the safety of Ukrainians and help Ukraine rebuild, the Government of Canada is investing $15.4 million to:

Support the International Monetary Fund in its efforts to help Ukraine acquire the technical assistance and training needed for economic reforms and eventual accession to the European Union.Improve Ukraine’s capacity to safely clear its territory of mines and other explosive remnants of war.Provide Ukraine’s government with technical assistance from Government of Canada experts in the justice and energy sectors.

Nuclear facilities are facing threats and security vulnerabilities. That’s why the Government of Canada is also investing $2 million to:

Uphold the safe and secure operations of nuclear facilities in Ukraine through the International Atomic Energy Agency.

At the Summit, Prime Minister Trudeau chaired a session on the human dimension of the war and met with international counterparts, including the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to reaffirm Canada’s support for Ukraine’s Peace Formula. The Prime Minister underlined the importance of diverse Ukrainian voices – particularly those of women – in planning and implementing the Formula.

As co-chair with Ukraine of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, the Prime Minister underscored the recent launch of the #BringKidsBack Communications Network, an international network of Coalition members that works on shared information campaigns to raise awareness and advocate for the safe return and well-being of deported and forcibly transferred Ukrainian children. He encouraged other countries to join the Coalition and rally behind our efforts to help Ukrainian children displaced by Russia’s unjustifiable aggression to return to their rightful homes and communities in Ukraine.

Leaders reaffirmed their support for a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace for Ukraine in a joint statement. They stressed the importance of the safe use of nuclear energy and reiterated that any threat or use of nuclear weapons is inadmissible. Leaders agreed that food security must not be weaponized and that prisoners of war and all illegally deported and displaced Ukrainian children – as well as other Ukrainian civilians who were unlawfully detained – must be returned to Ukraine.

Quote

“Russia’s full-scale invasion has had devastating effects on Ukrainians, from the millions forced to flee their homes to the thousands of children that have been illegally deported. Canada and our international partners are united in our support of a just and lasting peace for Ukraine. To the Ukrainians who continue to stand strong in defence of their homeland, know that we will keep supporting you until victory.”
— The Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

Quick Facts

While in Lucerne, Prime Minister Trudeau met with the President of Finland, Alexander Stubb, and the President of Kenya, William Ruto.Earlier this week, Prime Minister Trudeau announced key measures to support Ukraine’s fight for freedom. This includes:A $5 billion contribution to G7 Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration Loans for Ukraine.Sanctions on 27 individuals and entities involved in Russia’s military-industrial complex as well as sanctions circumvention and disinformation.Experts estimate that since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, thousands of Ukrainian children have been deported, forcibly transferred, or otherwise displaced from Ukraine to temporarily occupied territories and to Russia, for the purpose of erasing their Ukrainian identity. Currently, fewer than 400 children have been returned to Ukraine and reunited with their families.Since 2022, Canada has committed over $19 billion in multifaceted support to Ukraine. This includes over $12.4 billion in financial assistance, which has helped the Ukrainian government to continue to operate, including by delivering essential government services and pensions to Ukrainians. Other assistance includes over $4 billion in military aid and equipment donations, $352.5 million in humanitarian assistance, $442 million in development assistance, and over $210 million in security and stabilization programming.Since 2014, Canada has imposed sanctions on more than 3,000 individuals and entities in Russia, Belarus, Moldova, and Ukraine for their complicity in the violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as gross and systematic human rights violations. Many of these sanctions have been implemented in co-ordination with Canada’s partners.In 2022, Canada introduced the world’s first civil forfeiture regime for sanctioned assets. Budget 2024 announced the federal government’s intention to engage international partners to identify additional avenues to hold Russia to account and advance any necessary amendments to Canada’s sanctions regime.Last February, Canada and Ukraine signed an Agreement on Security Cooperation, in line with the 2023 G7 Joint Declaration of Support for Ukraine.Canada will provide over $3 billion in critical financial and military support to Ukraine in 2024.

Toward a just and lasting peace in Ukraine

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