Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
I hope my camera is working properly. I have had some technical issues, and I apologize for my delay in joining of the meeting.
Thank you again, Mr. Chair, and thanks to the members of the committee.
The mobilization of Russian military forces in and around Ukraine continues, with no sign of de‑escalation. The situation remains unpredictable and President Putin's military intentions remain unclear.
We're working closely with our allies and partners to find a diplomatic solution to the military conflict, by developing multiple strong deterrents.
Today, I'll be talking to you about the four main areas that Global Affairs Canada is focusing on: our diplomatic approach, our work on sanctions, our support for Ukraine and consular planning.
Turning to diplomatic engagement, over the last month Canada and our Euro-Atlantic allies have engaged in intense diplomacy along several complementary tracks, primarily via NATO, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, OSCE, and bilaterally, between the United States and Russia.
Minister Joly recently travelled to Ukraine, Belgium and France and is in frequent contact with her counterparts.
Canada and its allies are united in this crisis. We speak with one voice in support of Ukraine and see diplomacy as the only viable path forward for Russia. We have presented Russia with a choice: meaningful dialogue or severe consequences.
In terms of the impact, Canada is working with Australia; Europe and its member states; the United Kingdom; and the United States to develop strong and concrete punitive measures, including sanctions.
Canada is prepared to quickly impose tough sanctions that would target influential individuals and entities with ties to key sectors of the Russian economy. We'll also be able, with little notice, to extend these sanctions to other prominent individuals and entities that are part of key sectors of the Russian economy. In addition, we can quickly implement other financial measures, including export bans in specific sectors.
At this point, we aren't ruling out any possibilities.
Turning to our support for Ukraine, since January 2014 Canada has committed more than $890 million in multi-faceted assistance to Ukraine. Now we are further bolstering that support. On January 26, in addition to the renewal of Operation Unifier, which my colleague from the Department of National Defence will address, the Prime Minister announced that Canada is providing a further $50 million in assistance to Ukraine. This includes $35 million in development assistance and $15 million in humanitarian assistance.
This new funding complements the work of Canada's peace and stabilization operations program in Ukraine on security sector reform, countering disinformation, supporting the Minsk process, and advancing the women, peace and security agenda. Russia's threat has destabilized Ukraine's economy, which is why Canada also offered a loan of up to $120 million to Ukraine last month.
Through Canada's assistance, we are also supporting Ukraine's efforts to reform and build accountable, effective and resilient democratic institutions. In the long run, such reforms are the most effective way to strengthen Ukraine's democracy, enhance prosperity for the people of Ukraine and build Ukraine's resilience to Russian aggression.