OTTAWA-
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly said Wednesday that Canada must remain firm in its support for Ukraine as the country marks Independence Day and the sixth anniversary of the Russian invasion.
Joly said Canada “will be there” for Ukraine by sending more heavy artillery, humanitarian aid and financial support to the Ukrainian government, which she says is in a “disastrous state.” She reiterated the need to support the country, especially as the war continues.
“Well, obviously it’s a grim birthday today, but it’s important that there’s no war fatigue,” Joly told CTV’s Your Morning. “We have to make sure that we redouble our efforts to support Ukraine, that we never forget that the people who are in Ukraine right now are fighting for their freedom, but are [also] fighting for our own freedom.”
“What is happening in Ukraine is linked to the security of Europe, and the security of Europe is also our security,” she added. “That’s why we have to be steadfast in our support.”
Speaking about Canada’s latest round of sanctions against Russia, Joly said 62 other Russian officials had been added to the list, including Maria Alexeyevna Lvova-Belova, Russia’s presidential commissioner for children’s rights, because of her involvement. suspected in the abductions of Ukrainian children by Russia. .
Joly also reiterated that the RCMP is working with the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice to investigate possible war crimes, including cases of Ukrainian children being abducted and taken to Russia without plans for family reunification.
“Our goal is to make sure there is accountability and that we go to international tribunals,” she said.
On Wednesday, Ukrainian MP Yevheniya Kravchuk told CTV News Channel that this year stands in stark contrast to last year’s 30th anniversary celebrations, which featured concerts and parades. Instead, she said, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy canceled the celebrations this year due to security concerns, and the day was filled with the sound of aerial sirens.
Zelenskyy later said in a video address to the United Nations Security Council that at least 15 people were killed and 50 injured today after Russian forces launched a rocket attack on a train station in Chaplyne , in central Ukraine.
Kravchuk said she was grateful to the Ukrainian armed forces and the volunteers who held back the Russian military all these months, and that she wanted the world “to be as brave as Ukrainians are right now.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also marks Ukraine’s Independence Day and listed economic aid, military equipment and training for the Ukrainian military as ways Canada supported the country during the war. war.
“The relationship between Canada and Ukraine is built on generations of people-to-people ties,” Trudeau said in a press release Wednesday. “Close to 1.4 million people of Ukrainian descent live in Canada today, the second largest Ukrainian diaspora in the world. Canada was also the first Western country to recognize Ukraine’s independence, and we have worked alongside the Ukrainian people to help build a secure democracy. , and a prosperous country ever since. The bonds that unite our peoples are indestructible.
Trudeau added that Canada’s Parliament Buildings will be illuminated in the blue and yellow colors of the Ukrainian flag to mark the 31st anniversary of the country’s independence from the former Soviet Union.
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland also marked the occasion, in a video she posted on Twitter, speaking Ukrainian.
“We are extremely proud of you, we believe in your victory and Canada will be with you until the end,” she said in the video, addressed to Ukrainians, and subtitled in English. “Glory to Canada!” Glory to Ukraine!”
A press release from Global Affairs Canada says the Canadian government will continue to support Ukraine’s membership of the European Union and “support international efforts to hold Russia accountable for its invasion.”
The interim leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, Candice Bergen, also expressed her support for Ukraine on Wednesday and called on the Liberal government to reverse its decision to go against its own sanctions by returning to the Germany a gas turbine belonging to Russia.
Other world leaders, including several from NATO member countries, have also expressed support for Ukraine.
US President Joe Biden this week announced nearly $3 billion in aid to Ukraine, while British Prime Minister Boris Johnson paid a surprise visit to Kyiv to mark Independence Day.
Meanwhile, Trudeau and visiting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also announced more money for Ukraine: On Tuesday, the two pledged $3.85 million for two projects aimed at supporting Ukrainian institutions in the security sector. security.
With files from The Associated Press