Photo from UNIAN
Canada's Defense Minister Harjit S. Sajjan on June 21 had a fruitful conversation with the Ukrainian Canadian Congress in Ottawa, during which he reiterated Canada's unwavering support to Ukraine, both in helping to preserve and protect Ukraine's sovereignty in response to Russian aggression and in providing assistance to Ukraine to implement key reforms, the Government of Canada said in a news release.
"The Government of Canada is committed to Ukraine and the Ukrainian people as they work to build a more secure, stable, and prosperous country. The illegal seizure of Ukrainian territory by Russia is not something Canada can accept or ignore. Canada will continue providing support to the Ukrainian people, as we have since January 2014, as long as our assistance is needed," he said, reads the news release.
Sajjan underlined that both the recent signing of the Canada-Ukraine Defense Cooperation Arrangement (DCA) and the renewal of Operation UNIFIER until March 2019 are critical parts of Canada's multifaceted support to Ukrainian territorial integrity and sovereignty, security, and stability.
Read alsoCanada mulling over arming Ukraine – Ambassador WaschukWhile the DCA is focused on providing a framework for cooperation on important defense-related issues, Operation UNIFIER is part of broader Government of Canada efforts to advance democracy, human rights, and the rule of law in Ukraine through development, financial, humanitarian, and non-lethal military assistance.
Supporting the security of other nations and their ability to contribute to security abroad is one of the eight core missions of Strong, Secure, Engaged, Canada's new Defense Policy. Canada's assistance to Ukraine and Ukrainians is fully aligned with the new Defense Policy.