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Ukrainians in Canada

11.09.2016

STEPHEN HARPER AWARDED ONE OF UKRAINE’S TOP HONOURS

 STEPHANIE LEVITZ

OTTAWA — The Canadian Press

Published Thursday, Aug. 25, 2016

 

        Former prime minister Stephen Harper has been awarded one of Ukraine’s highest honours.

        Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko granted the Order of Liberty to Harper to mark the 25th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence this week.

        Past recipients of the award, which recognizes contributions towards strengthening Ukraine’s sovereignty, include top diplomats of NATO and the European Commission.

        Harper led the charge to have Russia booted out of the G8 following that country’s annexation of Crimea in 2014.

        As prime minister, he also pledged millions in military trainers and other forms of aid to Ukraine, which was also one of the last countries he visited before last fall’s election.

        Harper was not the only Canadian honoured by the Ukrainian government for their contributions this week — others included his fellow Conservative MP Jason Kenney, Liberal MP Borys Wrzesnewskyj and other members of the Ukrainian-Canadian community.

        Harper said he was deeply honoured by the award.

        “I look forward to the day when Ukraine’s freedom and territory are no longer threatened by the Putin regime,” read a message on his Twitter account.

        “We must continue to stand with the people of Ukraine.”

        Harper is expected to remain involved in international issues after he resigns his seat as a member of Parliament, a move expected by the time Conservatives gather in Halifax in September.

        His next steps include the full launch of a consulting business that will have a foreign affairs component to its work

 

*   *   *

 

        There are twenty-five years ago today, the Ukrainian Parliament declared its independence from the Soviet Union. Canadians can be proud that we have been the first western country to recognize the sovereignty of the Ukraine, and in this historic anniversary, I wish my best wishes to the people of Ukraine and the Ukrainian community of Canada.

        Unfortunately, the celebrations of independence of Ukraine are taking place at a time of unprecedented challenges for the sovereignty and the future of Ukraine. The illegal occupation by Russia of the Crimea and some parts of the eastern Ukraine continues and the Putin regime wields the threat of an escalation to an alarming frequency.

        The Ukrainian people shown a strength and a remarkable determination since the quarter of a century where she chose independence for his future. Ukrainians make sacrifices too teary to defend their freedom, the innocent civilians killed on the maidan to the men and women in uniform who, on their own territory, continue to lose the life almost every day because of Russian military aggression continues.

        Although time passes, the world must not turn a blind eye to the actions of the Putin regime. Now more than ever, we must reiterate that this takes five months or fifty years, we will never recognize the illegal occupation by Russia of the Crimea and any other part of Ukraine.

        While we emphasize today the important anniversary of the independence of Ukraine, we must remain on the side of the Ukrainian people while she fights for his future.

Stephen Harper

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