Liberals welcome free trade deal with Ukraine after Conservative delay

July 15, 2015

OTTAWA – Liberals welcomed the free trade deal signed between Canada and Ukraine, but criticized the Harper Conservatives for their delay in finalizing the agreement.

“The Liberal Party of Canada has been steadfast in its support for Ukrainian democracy and Ukraine’s territorial integrity, and this free trade deal will help bolster both, as an important step in rebuilding the Ukrainian economy,” said the Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, Justin Trudeau. “We are concerned, however, that it has taken so long for this agreement to come together when the EU unilaterally opened its borders to trade with Ukraine more than a year ago. Furthermore, Liberals have been calling on the Canadian government to work with the international community to secure more significant, long-term financial support for Ukraine, but action has not been taken.”

For months, Liberals have been calling on the government of Canada to take the following actions: expand the list of sanctioned Russians to include influential businessmen and close Putin supporters, Igor Sechin and Vladimir Yakunin; explore, with our allies, the feasibility of cutting off certain Russian banks from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) network; secure additional financial support for Ukraine; urge foreign creditors to come to a debt restructuring deal; assist the government of Ukraine in building and reinforcing the essential institutions of democracy that will place the country on a solid foundation, including training of Ukrainian combat troops; and call for an urgent meeting of its NATO allies to decide whether new steps must be taken, in view of escalating Russian aggression in Ukraine.

“Canada and Ukraine have always shared a special relationship, with more than 1.3 million Canadians tracing their roots to the country, and we have a vital role to play in helping to end the conflict between Ukraine and Russia,” said Mr. Trudeau. “We can, and we must, do more to actively and constructively help rebuild Ukraine’s economic and democratic institutions.”