Borys Wrzesnewskyj

[Operation Unifier, March 20th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, a decade ago, Russian ambassador to Washington, Sergey Kislyak, visited Ottawa as Russian deputy foreign minister. Back then, I confronted Kislyak about Russia's cyber-attacks on Estonia and its use of gas supply cut-offs to intimidate Ukraine. Ten years of diplomatic resets and the result is Russia is exponentially more belligerent. Then, Russia's cyber-attacks shut down Estonia. Today, they undermine the integrity of the U.S. presidential elections. Then, Russia punished Ukraine for its pro-western policies with gas shut-offs. Today, in Russia's war against Ukraine, 10,000 have been killed and two million have been displaced.

Diplomatic engagement must include the strength of military conviction. Renewed Operation Unifier is a clear geopolitical deterrent to Russia's revanchist imperial intent.

We are proud of our 200 Canadian soldiers serving in Ukraine.

[Committees of the House, March 9th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the eighth report of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration entitled “Family Reunification”.

Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.

[Foreign Affairs, March 6th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, Operation Unifier is critically important for our ally, Ukraine, whose territory has been militarily invaded and annexed.

Two hundred highly respected and talented Canadian Armed Forces are providing invaluable military and medical training to Ukrainian soldiers and institutional capacity building through key defence reforms. It is a part of the west's stabilization and development of Ukraine.

Unifier is set to end this month. Will the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Defence renew this critical program?

[Bitter Harvest, February 16th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to inform the House about the long-awaited motion picture premier of Bitter Harvest, on February 28, at the Canadian War Museum. This film was inspired by one of the most harrowing genocides of the 20th century, the Holodomor, or genocide by famine, planned and executed by Soviet dictator Stalin against the Ukrainian people in 1932-33.

Bitter Harvest is the compelling story of dignity, rebellion, and the power of love in the midst of horrific evil as seen through the eyes of a young couple caught up in the midst of Stalin's genocidal policies. It features such talented Hollywood actors as Terence Stamp, and Canada's own Barry Pepper. It is directed and co-written by Canadians George Mendeluk and Richard Bachynsky-Hoover.

The principal producer of this epic, Ian Ihnatowycz, is a constituent and successful entrepreneur, as well as generous philanthropist.

I encourage all members of the House to attend the premier of Bitter Harvest on February 28. I congratulate Ian without whom this motion picture would not have been possible.

[Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act, February 10th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague across the aisle noted that this is one of the few times we have had a trade agreement that everyone agrees is the right thing to do. Part of the reason is respect for the Ukrainian Canadian community and its tremendous contributions not only in Alberta but right across the country.

In the second part of her speech, she referenced what is going on inside Ukraine. We must remember the context of Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine. It began with the reneging on a free trade association agreement with the European Union by the former president puppet controlled by Mr. Putin. Students went into the streets and were brutally beaten in the central square in Kiev. It became known as the revolution of dignity. It was the first time in the history of the EU that protestors carrying the European Union flag, and all that it symbolized, the respect for universal human rights and democratic rights, were snipered. People carrying the European Union flag, for the first time in European Union history, were shot and killed for symbolically carrying those values.

I wonder if my colleague could expand on how that has impacted our decision to come together as a House of Commons, as a Parliament, to sign on to this free trade agreement to help Ukraine at this very difficult time.

[Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act, February 10th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, the Ukrainian diaspora in Canada is one million strong, and that adds another very interesting dimension to this agreement.

Some Ukrainian Canadians speak Ukrainian and understand Ukraine's history and culture. Would my colleague care to comment on how that can benefit Canadian businesses wanting to invest in Ukraine?

[Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act, February 10th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank our colleague across the way for all the work he has done on this file.

We have heard a lot about trade today. When we look at the numbers, trade is quite modest between our two countries. It has averaged around $285 million over the last five years. However, one of the interesting components to the agreement is the investment component and the fact that Ukraine has a free trade association agreement with the European Union, which allows small and medium-size Canadian businesses.

A lot of these free trade agreements only look at the big corporate entities. They are already in the European Union. However, small and medium-size Canadian businesses would now have an opportunity to invest in Ukraine, where capital costs are significantly lower than they would be in a place like Germany. Also, manufacturing costs are a lot lower. Therefore, there is an opportunity for small and medium-sized businesses to invest in Ukraine as a gateway into Europe, and, vice versa, small and medium-sized Ukrainian businesses to invest in Canada and the North American market. I wonder if my colleague would like to speak to that particular point.

[Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act, February 7th, 2017]

Madam Speaker, I would like to thank our colleague across the aisle for all of his work on the Ukrainian file over the past number of years. As he said, the Canadian government's support has been multifaceted. We are all thankful that in the House everyone stands united when it comes to CUFTA, the free trade agreement. He also mentioned Operation Unifier. The Minister of National Defence last week signalled that the odds are that this training mission will be extended. My personal hope is that it will be expanded, and I noted that the member referenced that as well.

I also noted that he made a distinction between kinetic defensive weapons and non-kinetic defensive weapons. Back when he was a member of the government, there was an opportunity to provide Ukraine with kinetic defensive weapons. It did not occur at that time. We now know that Russia has sent more than 600 tanks into eastern Ukraine, and more than 1,000 artillery systems, and that Ukraine keeps looking for systems such as the Javelin to counterbalance the threat of those tanks. Now that the member is in the opposition, has his opinion changed about kinetic defensive weapons for Ukraine?

[Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act, February 7th, 2017]

Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member across the aisle for all of the work that he does with the Canada-Ukraine Friendship Group.

I would like to thank him for mentioning the work of Ukrainian Canadian doctors and Canadian doctors who have accompanied them. There are hundreds of projects that are funded and sponsored by Ukrainian Canadians.

I mentioned the two soldiers whom the Prime Minister had noted that evening who had facial reconstruction surgery. It was done by Dr. Oleh Antonyshyn, who is from my riding. He went over there. He has done this incredible work, as have other doctors.

I should mention that there are camps being run by Ukrainian Canadians funded from Canada, which are also working in the areas of psychiatry and psychology with the widows and orphans of people who volunteered and fought on that front.

Ukrainian Canadians continue to make an invaluable contribution to Ukraine at this time of Russia's war against the people of Ukraine.

[Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act, February 7th, 2017]

Madam Speaker, most Ukrainians and Ukrainian Canadians are very sensitive to this point. Ukraine is an independent country. It is not a territory. We refer to “the Northwest Territories” as a territory and not as a country. In Ukraine's case, we will often hear Russian diplomats use the terminology of “the Ukraine”. It is something that Ukrainian Canadians and Ukrainians are sensitive to. I thank the hon. member for having raised that particular point.