Visitors from Ukraine in Canada
Verkhovna Rada Vice-Chair Andrij Parubiy made an official visit to Canada on February 21-24 on the invitation of House of Commons Speaker Andrew Scheer. On Saturday evening, February 21, an expanded meeting of UCC’s Advisory Council was held with Mr. Parubiy to discuss the current situation in Ukraine.
In Ottawa, together with a UCC delegation, Mr. Parubiy met with Minister of International Trade Ed Fast to discuss Canada-Ukraine bilateral economic relations; with Minister of National Defense Kenney to discuss Canada’s leadership and support for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s invasion and continued aggression; and with Prime Minister Harper. Members of the delegation also met with several other MPs, including Paul Dewar, official opposition foreign affairs critic.
In a meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs Robert Nicholson, Mr. Parubiy discussed the security situation in eastern Ukraine, including concerns over Mariupol and the steps taken toward reform by Ukraine’s government. Minister Nicholson said Canada is committed to working closely with the government of Ukraine. Mr. Parubiy thanked Canada for taking a leadership role in supporting Ukraine and for the new economic sanctions and travel bans imposed against Russian and Ukrainian individuals and entities.
While in the Canadian capital, Mr. Parubiy on February 23 attended a commemorative photo exhibit organized by EuroMaidan Ottawa on the first anniversary of the brutal sniper attacks in Kyiv that killed over 100 peaceful protesters on the Maidan in 2014. “In choosing these particular pieces for exhibition, we were consciously trying to capture the zeitgeist of the Euro-Maidan,” noted Yaroslav Baran, one of the exhibit organizers. “Tremendous things happened on that square. A revolution was born.”
EuroMaidan Ottawa is a grass-roots organization in solidarity with the Ukrainian prodemocracy movement; it seeks to help raise awareness and assist in the strengthening of democracy and rule of law in Ukraine. Since November 2013, EuroMaidan Ottawa has organized over 20 demonstrations, commemorative services and public speaking events to raise awareness in Canada about the Ukraine crisis; it has raised over $25,000 in support of Ukraine – ranging from medical supplies and sleeping bags for Ukrainian soldiers on the front to direct support for internally displaced Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars.
Also on February 23, Mr. Parubiy participated in a remembrance ceremony at the Confederation Flame on Parliament Hill that paid tribute to the heroes of the Revolution of Dignity.
Andriy Parubiy and the Ukrainian community of Ottawa pay tribute to the Euro-Maidan’s heroes on Parliament Hill.
Another high point of his visit was the fund-raising reception and dinner, “Tribute to the Brave Defenders of Ukraine,” held at the Golden Lion restaurant in Toronto and attended by 400 people. The featured speeches were given by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Chris Alexander; the chair of the Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group, MP Ted Opitz; and several other MPs, among them Mr. Bezan.
Serhiy Kuzan, leader of the Free People (Vilni Liudy) network in Ukraine and a national activist in the civil society movement, in March and April conducted an 11-city tour of Canada, during which he spoke about “Ukraine’s Citizen Response to Russia’s War in Eastern Ukraine.” During his visit to Ottawa, Mr. Kuzan was hosted in Parliament by the Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group and met with government officials. Mr. Kuzan discussed Ukraine’s citizen response to Russian aggression and civic support for Ukraine’s military. He also shared with the Canadian public the deep appreciation for the humanitarian support provided to Ukraine’s military personnel and injured soldiers. His 24-day tour was organized by the League of Ukrainian Canadians and its Friends of Ukraine Defense Forces Fund.
Vira Savchenko, the sister of illegally imprisoned Ukrainian air force pilot, Nadiya Savchenko, was welcomed to Canada by the UCC. She was in Canada to raise awareness of the illegal arrest and imprisonment of her sister by the authorities in Russia. Nadiya was abducted by Kremlin-backed terrorists in the Luhansk Oblast in June 2014, illegally removed from Ukrainian territory and imprisoned in Russia. She is a victim of Russia’s war against Ukraine and a political prisoner. The U.N. Commissioner for Human Rights and governments across the globe have called for Ms Savchenko’s immediate release.
On April 25-28, Vira Savchenko was in Toronto, where she participated in the roundtable discussion “Reforms, Security and European Ukraine,” and was hosted at a banquet by “Dopomoha Ukraini,” the Canada-Ukraine Foundation, the Canada-Ukraine Chamber of Commerce and the UCC. She also met with political leaders and members of Parliament in Ottawa.
The Embassy of Ukraine in Canada, in coordination with the Canada Ukraine Chamber of Commerce and the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, on July 14 organized a business leaders’ roundtable discussion with Prime Minister Yatsenyuk of Ukraine. The discussion coincided with the prime minister’s visit to Ottawa on July 14 to sign the Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement. A roundtable with community leaders was held after the business roundtable.