Mr. Chair, let me give some very concrete suggestions that we have had put before us. They are actually from the Ukrainian Canadian Congress. I will just enumerate them quickly.
Very smart things that we can do, and some of the things that our party has already called for, include engagement. We are hearing that this is absolutely critical. I was glad to see the foreign affairs minister go to Ukraine recently, and we have to keep that up. First is engagement with our allies by the government so that we do not see Ukraine slip back into the pocket of Russia.
Second, we can call upon Ukraine's president to respect the freedom of its citizens to assemble peacefully. We can call upon Ukraine's authorities to respect this right and to apply restraint in interaction with peaceful protestors.
Third, we can demand that the governing authorities of Ukraine respect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all Ukrainians, release from jail all peaceful protestors, and refrain from the use of force, as I had mentioned.
I will quickly enumerate the other points that the UCC has mentioned.
One is to reiterate the firm commitment of Canada to Ukraine's European integration and the signing of the EU-Ukraine association agreement on the basis of the clear, united, and undeniable call of the people of Ukraine as manifested by the people of Ukraine as they are speaking right now in Independence Square.
Another is to develop a sound policy and plan to address Russia's violations of its international commitments, particularly the 1994 Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances in connection with Ukraine's accession to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. This is very important.
Another, in concert with the U.S. and European authorities, is to play a leadership role in the G8 and the G20. This point gets back to the question I was posed.
I cannot see that there is anything controversial in what the Ukrainian Canadian Congress is asking. This is a good road map for Canada to embrace, to get behind, and to lead on. I would encourage the government to do just that.