September 23, 2017 (Theglobeandmail)
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the Canadian government will place Ukraine
on a list of countries to which it will permit certain weapons exports. Trudeau
made the comments after a meeting with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in
Toronto on Friday. Trudeau says the government has begun to move forward with
the lengthy process that would see Ukraine added to the Automatic Firearms
Country Control List.
Placing Ukraine on the list would
allow exporters of certain prohibited firearms, such as automatic weapons, to
submit permit applications to the government for the export of the weapons to
the country. There are currently 39 countries on the list. Former prime
minister Stephen Harper's government began consultations on placing Ukraine on
the list in 2015, but the process has not moved forward since the Conservative
defeat in 2016. The move comes as both leaders continue to denounce
Russian-backed fighters who are involved in a conflict in eastern-Ukraine.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and
the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko shake hands after holding a press
conference in Toronto, on Sept. 22, 2017.
Trudeau said Canada continues to
stand with Ukraine against the "illegal, illegitimate incursion of Russia
into Ukrainian territory." "Absolutely," Trudeau said when asked
if Ukraine would be added to the list. "(It's) something we're moving
forward on. There's a process and a series of criteria that have to be reached
but it is something we're working on."
Trudeau said Canada has also sent
both police and military personnel to Ukraine to train local officers and
soldiers. Poroshenko thanked the Canadian government for that assistance. "It
has significantly reduced the casualties for the soldiers who pass through this
training," Poroshenko said. "(It) significantly improves the
co-ordination and tactics we learn. This is a win, win, win, co-operation
because our Canadian partners also learn from us the unique experience from the
Russian hybrid warfare."
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