NDDN Committee Report

NDP Dissenting Report on Canada’s Support to Ukraine in Crisis and Armed Conflict

The NDP dissents from the National Defence Committee report on Canada`s Support to Ukraine in Crisis and Armed Conflict despite its many positive recommendations. New Democrats support developing a package of measures to continue and expand Canadian assistance to Ukraine with the goal of aiding Ukraine in strengthening its democratic institutions and thereby strengthening its ability to resist Russian aggression and to build lasting peace.

New Democrats believe an essential first step in support for Ukraine is entering into an agreement to allow visa free access to Canada for Ukrainians.  Such an agreement would facilitate contacts between Canadian and Ukrainian civil society organizations, an important element in helping strengthen reform efforts in Ukraine. It would also allow building on the success of the Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement to the mutual benefit of both economies. This would be a similar arrangement to the one Ukraine has with the European Union and would complement the visa free access Canadians already have to Ukraine.  This is a priority issue for the Ukrainian government.  Additionally, Canada should reinstate the Youth Mobility Agreement with Ukraine, allowing qualified Ukrainians to apply for travel and work within Canada for up to one year. This program ended in 2010.  New Democrats recommend expanding and strengthening our parliament-to-parliament relationships.  This should include offering technical assistance to the Ukrainian Parliament in strengthening accountability mechanisms based on our experience with institutions like the Office of the Auditor General and the Public Accounts Committee.

Canada can also provide assistance to Ukraine by strengthening ongoing contributions to military, police, and justice training. The Committee heard troubling testimony during the study that bilateral aid programs that support anti-corruption training and military training would be funded only until March 2018 and it was unclear whether the funding would be renewed by the Government of Canada.[1] The Hon. Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister for Euro-Atlantic Integration emphasized to the Committee the importance and effectiveness of these programs.  The Government of Canada should be renewing funding for these programs and continue to provide leadership for Ukraine on anti-corruption efforts.

Canada should also expand its support for gender equality promotion in Ukraine as well as assist the Ukrainian government in engaging with civil society groups. Women were heavily involved in civil society activism during the Maidan Revolution and increasing the role of women in Ukraine’s military and political institutions would lead to greater civil society engagement and a stronger democracy. Canada could also lead by example by having more women involved in the Canadian training missions in Ukraine.   

When it comes to addressing the armed conflict in Ukraine, New Democrats believe that the Government of Canada should begin by strengthening its contribution to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine. This mission monitors the progress of the Minsk Protocol and Minsk Memorandum, including the monitoring of the ceasefire and withdrawal of heavy weapons from the conflict.[2] Canada should deploy more resources to support the OSCE mission, including recruiting additional women to serve as monitors, which was an urgent request from the Mission. As well, Canada should support efforts to create a UN Peacekeeping Mission in Ukraine based on respect for Ukraine’s territorial integrity.

New Democrats cannot support the Committee’s recommendation that Canada supply lethal weapons to Ukraine. The Committee heard evidence that adding additional weapons to the conflict only risks increasing the intensity of the conflict and the number of civilian casualties. Russia also has the political will, capacity, and proximity to bring far more weapons into the conflict than Ukraine’s allies could ever supply. New Democrats do not support the recommendation that Ukraine be added to the Automatic Firearms Country Control List. There is a significant risk that lethal weapons sent to Ukraine could fall in to the wrong hands as Ukraine lacks adequate capacity to properly monitor what happens to these arms. Matt Shroeder of Small Arms Survey told the Committee that it is a, “Herculean task for any government to monitor small arms and light weapons in its territory,” and that while Ukraine has been aggressive in addressing illicit weapons, it remains to be seen whether Ukraine has the “necessary resources to really get on top of that problem.”[3]

Maintaining a high level of support for Ukraine should remain a priority for the Canadian Government both because of the close cultural ties between our nations and as part of Canada’s ongoing commitment to supporting democracy and peace around the world.