KENNEY ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE BY RE-ELECTED CONSERVATIVE GOVERNMENT
On September 18 Canadian Minister of Defense Jason Kenney announced that a re-elected Conservative government would strengthen economic ties with Ukraine by opening a new Export Development Canada (EDC) Office in Kyiv.
“The pledge to open a new trade office demonstrates the Conservative government’s ongoing commitment to strengthening economic ties with Ukraine," said Kenney. “This new trade office will significantly strengthen our economic relationship and encourage export development to a growing, prosperous Ukraine.”
The trade office will help businesses get their products to market and work to further alleviate financial barriers resulting from regional instability. Currently the EDC office for Eastern Europe is located in Moscow, Russia.
To date, the Canadian government has taken several steps to help Ukraine deal with a decline in economic activity largely due to the instability in the region caused by the illegal occupation of Ukrainian territory by the Putin regime.
A significant part of the Harper government’s support for Ukraine has been to expand the economic relationship between Canada and Ukraine and to support and promote economic activity in the country. According to EDC, real GDP growth in Ukraine is expected to rise in 2016, in large part as a result of Canada’s efforts.
The Canadian government also recently concluded the Canada-Ukrainian Free Trade Agreement, which will bolster the trading relationship for both countries and increase bilateral economic activity. In recent years, annual trade between Canada and Ukraine averaged close to $350 million; the new free trade agreement is projected to increase this by a further 20 percent.
“Canada continues to stand with the people of Ukraine in the face of the Putin regime’s ongoing aggression,” said Kenney. “The opening of a new EDC office will strengthen the economic relationship between Canada and Ukraine and help create jobs in both countries.”
Additional measures to counter ongoing Russian aggression in Ukraine were announced by Kenney a few days later, including proposed efforts to counter Russia’s information war, track Russian capital, and establish defence cooperation.
A re-elected Conservative government would, Kenney stated, establish a Digital Freedom Fund to support international groups and independent media using digital tools to advance the causes of freedom and democracy around the world. $10 million would be invested over four years to support efforts to counter Russian propaganda in Ukraine and elsewhere in Eastern Europe.
“The Putin regime is waging an information war against the Ukrainian people,” Kenney said. “The digital world is Putin’s new battlefield and we will support those who are working to reveal the truth about the situation in Ukraine.”
Under Harper, a Financial Task Force, comprised of foreign policy experts and financial analysts, would also be established to better track Russian capital flows in global markets. The goal of the task force would be to track Russian capital to ensure that sanctions are being properly implemented and to identify other potential targets for sanctions.
Lastly, Kenney announced that a Conservative government under Harper would negotiate a Defence Cooperation Agreement with Ukraine that would allow Canada to better cooperate on security issues, military training, and defence research and materiel, among other areas.
“It takes clear vision and decisive action to counter Putin’s propaganda,” said Kenney. “Putin doesn’t share the interests of the Western democratic world and Canada must continue to support Ukraine through this crisis.”
These announcements come on the heels of the start of Operation UNIFER, in which approximately 170 Canadian Armed Forces are training Ukrainian government forces to help protect Ukraine’s sovereignty in the face of the Putin regime’s aggression.
On September 18 Canadian Minister of Defense Jason Kenney announced that a re-elected Conservative government would strengthen economic ties with Ukraine by opening a new Export Development Canada (EDC) Office in Kyiv.
Lastly, Kenney announced that a Conservative government under Harper would negotiate a Defence Cooperation Agreement with Ukraine that would allow Canada to better cooperate on security issues, military training, and defence research and materiel, among other areas. 
