Ottawa, Ontario - Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada

The Honourable Rob Nicholson, P.C., Q.C., M.P. for Niagara Falls, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today issued the following statement regarding the delivery of non-lethal equipment to the Ukrainian armed forces on the first anniversary of the illegal annexation of Crimea:

“One year after the illegal annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, the Kremlin’s subversive destabilization campaign in Ukraine has not ceased. It has come with the tragic loss of life of brave Ukrainians who fought for the right to determine their own future and of Russians, deployed by Vladimir Putin, whose families are silenced and told to grieve for their losses in secret.

“The Canadian shipment, consisting of 60 pairs of night vision goggles, arrived today in Ukraine and will enhance the capabilities of the Ukrainian armed forces in their fight to defend their country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The delivery is part of an $11-million assistance package announced in November 2014. In the last months, Canada has donated approximately 30,000 sets of coats and pants, 70,000 pairs of Gore-Tex boots and medical kits to Ukraine.

“Today’s shipment is yet another example of the concrete actions Canada is taking to support the people of Ukraine. Canada will continue to stand by the Ukrainian people as they fight for democracy and the sovereignty of their country in the face of the Putin regime’s military aggression. One year after the illegal annexation of Crimea, our position remains firm: Canada will never recognize the illegal annexation of Crimea, and we continue to call on the Russian Federation to cease its destabilization campaign, fully withdraw its forces from Ukraine and respect its sovereignty and territorial integrity.”