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.
Related Product
- Backgrounder: Toward a just and lasting peace in Ukraine
- Summit on Peace for Ukraine -
Joint Communiqué on a Peace Framework
Associated Links
- Prime Minister strengthens global security and stability at the
G7 Summit
- Canada announces additional
sanctions against Russia and its
illegal war against Ukraine
- International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian
Children
- Women, peace and security
- Canada reaffirms our
unwavering support for Ukraine for
as long as it takes
- Canada's response to the
Russian invasion of Ukraine
This document is also available at https://pm.gc.ca
SOURCE Prime Minister's Office