Mr. Chair, I want to thank the Minister of International Trade for his very good work with the people of Ukraine.
I am proud this evening to stand in support of Ukraine. I am very proud of the position our government has taken in supporting Ukraine and the Ukrainian people's desire to pursue freedom, sovereignty, and democracy.
I come from a riding that is very rich in Ukrainian history. I have many communities that have strong Ukrainian ethnicity and are very closely tied to the Ukrainian people. Many of them have friends and relatives still in Ukraine.
I am also the grandson of Mennonite immigrants who in the early 1900s fled Ukraine during a time of civil unrest and found their home here in Canada. I am so grateful that Canada accepted by grandparents on both sides, and I have a strong attachment to the people of Ukraine.
I spoke with a gentleman this past week who had been in Ukraine the previous week, and upon people there learning that he was Canadian, they expressed their sincere appreciation and thankfulness for the support Canada has given to Ukraine.
In particular, there were three things they were thankful for: our prayers, which they appreciated; our support on the international stage; and our supplying their troops with flak jackets. To quote directly what one of the individuals said:
We provide our troops with food and clothing to keep them warm and fed, but you Canadians supply them with body armour, which makes sure that our sons and husbands come home at night.
The Ukrainian people are very appreciative and thankful for the support we have shown them so far, and I am just so proud that our Prime Minister has expressed unequivocal support for the people of Ukraine.
I am just wondering if the minister could expand a little bit further on how important it will be to provide continued economic support.