OTTAWA – The Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) on September 2 called on G-20 leaders to suspend Russia’s participation in the group of the world’s 20 major economies and bolster sanctions against Russia in order put pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to end Russia’s war against Ukraine and Russia’s occupation of sovereign Ukrainian territory in Crimea and the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.
G-20 leaders were to meet in China on September 4-5 to discuss key issues facing the global economy. To continue to allow Russia a seat at such important decision-making forums as the G-20 while Russia continues to wage a war of aggression against Ukraine only feeds Mr. Putin’s profoundly cynical calculation that short-term financial and economic interests trump values and principles, the UCC argued.
In 2014, G-7 leaders suspended Russia’s participation in the G-8 “until Russia changes course and the environment comes back to where the G-8 is able to have a meaningful discussion.” The UCC noted that now it is time for G-20 leaders to send a strong message to President Putin that Russia’s aggression is unacceptable and suspend Russia’s participation in the G-20.
“The international community must make a concerted multilateral effort to isolate Putin’s regime until such time as Russia respects international law, obligations and responsibilities,” stated Paul Grod, national president of the UCC. “Putin has made clear through his actions that he understands only strength. Sanctions against Russia must be strengthened, including removing Russia from the SWIFT payments system, and Russia must be further isolated until it changes course and ends its escalating aggression against Ukraine and other states.”
On September 1, the Ukrainian Canadian Congress wrote to Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, asking him, as the leader of one of Ukraine’s strongest international supporters, “to advocate for the suspension of the Russian Federation from the G-20 and to increase sanctions on Russia for its continued occupation and war against Ukraine.”
The UCC also urged Ukrainian Canadians to contact their members of Parliament to express support for suspending Russia from the G-20 and increasing sanctions against Russia, while helping Ukraine defend itself with enhanced military support, economic backing and technical assistance to further reforms in Ukraine.