OPINION
20 Obiter Dicta
Nightmare
» continued from page 7
2006 Census of Canada figures, Ukrainian Canadians
number 1,209,085 (3.9 per cent of the country’s population) and are mainly Canadian-born citizens. This
makes them Canada’s ninth largest ethnic group,
and means Canada has the world’s third-largest
Ukrainian population.” This undeniable relationship, along with a majority of Ukrainian Canadians
living in Western Canada, has no doubt made the
recent events a decisive issue for Canadian politicians looking towards the next federal election. The
PMO (Prime Minister’s Office) has been especially
occupied in building a stronger relationship with
Ukraine and in September hosted newly elected president Petro Poroshenko in Ottawa. In addition to
the PMO’s office, Canada has been on the forefront of
assisting Ukraine in casting off the endemic corruption formerly found in elections and sent over three
hundred observers for the 2014 presidential elections. Canada has played a pivotal role in the current state of Ukraine as an independent nation and
was the first Western nation to recognize and affirm
its sovereignty in 1991. It also played a role via NATO
in the 1997 NATO-Ukraine Charter. This Charter
was preceded by the 1994 Budapest Memorandum
on Security Assurances. By entering into this memorandum, Ukraine became the first and only nuclear
power to completely disarm. This was done on the
promise of the signatories’ respect for independence
and sovereignty and the existing borders of Ukraine.
The signatories included: Ukraine, the United
Kingdom, the United States, and, most importantly,
the Russian Federation. While, it is needless to say
this treaty has been breached, Putin has continued
to categorically deny Russia’s involvement in the
invasion in Ukraine. This lying, not only during the
invasion and annexation of Crimea but the continued invasion of Eastern Ukraine, is a geo-political
travesty and a use of double-speak that even George
Orwell would cringe upon hearing.
While it can be understood from a geopolitical
perspective that Russia is struggling to maintain its
regional grip, it cannot be given a pass as to the methods and tactics it has been using. From Ukraine’s sovereign perspective, it is legitimately choosing to turn
away from Russia, the endemic corruption it represents and the old power structure which had been
installed and supported by Russia. After a people’s
revolution banished a superbly corrupt president,
who had amassed a personal fortune to the tune of
billions of dollars (up to $36 billion were stolen by
Yanukovich), Ukraine has made its claim that it is
willing to fight for its own truly independent future.
To say that many in Ukraine want greater integration with the West is an understatement. On 16
September, the Ukrainian president, on behalf of the
Parliament, signed an Association Agreement with
ê The Twitter ‘war of the maps’ between Russia and Canada went viral back in August this year.
Photo credit: mirror.co.uk
the European Union formalizing Ukraine’s initial step
towards Member State status. Even more recently, on
21 November, the newly formed coalition government
stated its intention to cancel its non-aligned status
with NATO and resume full integration and eventual
membership with NATO. While many arguments
exist which forward the idea that the “real fight”
going on in Ukraine is between the United States and
Russia, and that this is simply a proxy battle, it would
be a disservice to the ongoing battle for Ukrainian
sovereignty and true independen ce to accept them
and ignore the context discussed above. As Russia
has continually promised to be the “Fatherland”
for ethnic Russians in eastern Ukraine, it should be
noted what kind of new reality the Ukrainian Tatars
and business people are now facing after Crimea’s
annexation; forced evictions/expulsions and nationalization of businesses “unfriendly” to the newly
appointed Russian control mechanism in Crimea.
Thousands of people have died on both sides over
the past twelve months. The issues at hand are complex and convoluted. As John Baird recently wrote
about this issue, “[i]f history has taught us anything, it is that Russia’s greatness derives from the
people—from their culture, from their creativity in so many spheres, from their industriousness,
from their bravery and indeed, from the resilience
of the ‘Russian soul’.” The Ukrainian people have
t humbs down
People who claim they’re ‘not worried’ about
exams.
shown that, through their resilience against a much
better financed, equipped and prepared enemy, they
are willing to lay down their lives for the right to
self-determination.
Putin and the oligarchs controlling Russia have
put themselves in a situation where Russia is nearing
the edge of a precipice; the ruble has dropped by over
30% from November 2013, inflation is projected to
be over 9% in 2015, thousands of dead Russian soldiers are showing up all over Russia without obituary details, the Ukrainian Crimean citizens who had
relied on state assistance from Ukraine are all expecting government support and the increasing and persistent sanctions imposed by the EU and the US has
begun to cripple its financial markets and economy.
The question of Russia’s resolve will now be tested.
How much pain will Putin and his cronies be able to
apply to their own country before it crumbles around
them? When will the Russian people say enough is
enough, this nightmare is over, Ukraine’s future is
its own and this failed revanchist agenda is ceased?
When will the bear awaken from its nightmare?
Until then, we must be thankful that we live in a
democratic and free nation, where we can choose our
government, criticize it as we feel, and embrace the
values our forefathers fought for in both World Wars,
as enshrined in our Constitution. But we must support Ukraine, in spirit and in aid, as it may be the
thread that holds together or unravels the stability
and peace European nations have enjoyed over the
last sixty years.
(* The author acknowledges his Ukrainian roots and
the persecution his family suffered at the hands of
the USSR. This article was written to provide needed
context on some of the issues surrounding the current
conflict and was not meant to be exhaustive.) u