Mr. Speaker, let us just keep it focused on Ukraine. It is the people of Ukraine who aspire for closer western ties. The whole revolution of dignity on the Maidan in Kiev was about having more ties to Europe. It was when Yanukovych reneged on his promise to sign the European Union–Ukraine free trade agreement that they decided to start protesting—peaceful protests, which Yanukovych turned into a massacre, with Russian support. We of course remember that day in January, almost three years ago now, when we saw innocent young people being killed on the streets by snipers.
This is about helping Ukraine realize its own aspirations for a government that respects the rule of law, about a democracy that is actually functioning, about an economy that is market driven and not filled with corruption, which we witness in Ukraine today and which was rampant before.
By having a Canada–Ukraine free trade agreement, by supporting its democratic institutions, by working with it and supporting it, as we have been as both Liberal and Conservative governments, in reformation of how its government functions, we will succeed for the people of Ukraine, not the oligarchs, not those who are corrupt government officials, but we will succeed.
This is our opportunity to also bring forward the Magnitsky Act to make sure we hold to account those foreign corrupt officials who are getting rich off the backs of the people, as well as often committing murder and other heinous crimes.