Ottawa, ON – The Hon. Pierre Poilievre, Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada and the Official Opposition, released the following statement on Ukrainian Independence Day:
“On August 24, 1991, Ukraine boldly declared its independence from Kremlin rule. That day, the land that gave us the music of Leontovych and Lysenko, the genius of Skovoroda and Mohyla, and the verses of Shevchenko and Ukrainka finally regained its place among the sovereign nations of the world.
“Canada’s relationship with the Ukrainian people began almost a century earlier, when settlers from Bukovyna and Galicia travelled thousands of miles to build new lives in the Canadian west. These pioneers and their descendants fed, forged and fought for our young nation through the hard years of the Depression and World Wars.
“Today, Canada is proud to have one of the largest and most active communities of Ukrainian heritage on earth.
“Since 2014, Canada’s Conservatives have stood with Ukraine unequivocally in their fight against Moscow’s aggression. As Ukrainians celebrate their fourth Independence Day since Putin’s illegal full-scale invasion, we renew our commitment to excluding the Russian Federation from the G7 – and to ending their energy blackmail by promoting Canadian oil and gas.
“Conservatives will continue to fight to get Ukraine the weapons they need to defend their borders. And we will oppose any so-called ‘peace attempts’ that refuse Kyiv its rightful place at the table.
“On behalf of all my colleagues, I want to wish everyone celebrating a happy and victorious Ukrainian Independence Day!
“Slava Ukraini!”