Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky delivers a speech in Canada’s House of Commons in Ottawa on Tuesday, as part of a series of meetings aimed at calling for more international aid.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau presented him as a “friend”, before recalling that Canada has the second largest diaspora of Ukrainians in the world, or 1.4 million residents. They helped build Canada, he said.
“Ukrainians are lucky to have you as their champion,” added Mr. Trudeau. President Zelensky welcomes him hand on heart, while all the elected officials applaud, standing up.
The House of Commons is packed. The senators are seated on the central aisle. Ukrainian MP Yvan Baker sits alongside Mr. Trudeau during this emotional moment.
The Ukrainian head of state looks like a hero to the whole world at a time when his country is the victim of the aggression of its powerful neighbor, Russia. He was personally invited by Justin Trudeau to speak to elected officials during his recent trip to Europe. The two men have spoken on the phone several times in recent weeks.
Volodymyr Zelensky calls on NATO countries, of which Canada is a member, to set up a no-fly zone over his country to prevent the entry of Russian fighter planes. Neither NATO nor Canada are ready to take this step for the moment, for fear of an open war with the regime of Vladimir Putin. Experts warn the government of such a risk of escalation.
Canada has already decreed a ban on all imports of Russian oil, imposed significant sanctions against those close to the regime and blocked access to funds from its central bank, in particular. At the same time, the country promises to facilitate the reception of Ukrainian refugees and helps its army by sending lethal weapons, such as anti-tank devices.
The federal government on Tuesday announced new sanctions against fifteen Russian officials “who allowed and supported President Putin’s choice to invade a peaceful and sovereign country.” »
Canada’s clear support for Ukraine in this conflict is the consensus of the entire Canadian political class. Opposition parties have suggested, however, that the government could do more, for example by dismissing the Russian ambassador from Ottawa or by facilitating the supply of Canadian oil and natural gas to Europe.
Volodymyr Zelensky is the third Ukrainian president to speak in the Canadian Parliament, after his predecessors Victor Yushchenko in 2008 and Petro Poroshenko in 2014. Vladimir Putin’s predecessor, former Russian President Boris Yeltsin, was similarly invited to deliver a speech, which happened on June 19, 1992.
Mr Zelensky addressed the UK House of Commons on March 8 and is expected to address members of the US House and Senate on Wednesday.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has intensified in recent days as three million people have fled the country so far and airstrikes have targeted the capital kyiv.
Since the beginning of the Russian invasion, almost three weeks ago, Mr. Zelensky has also repeatedly reiterated his wish to integrate Ukraine into NATO in order to benefit from the military protection of its States. members. However, he agreed on Tuesday that Ukraine will not be able to join this military alliance – one of the criteria put forward by Russia to justify the invasion of this Eastern European country – when resume laborious talks between kyiv and the Kremlin in the hope of arriving at a ceasefire.
The Ukrainian president has also repeatedly accused the Russian army of having committed war crimes since the start of its invasion in this country, which has led to the opening of an investigation by the International Criminal Court.
Speaking on Tuesday in front of leaders of Britain’s Joint Expeditionary Force, which includes several NATO members among its members, President Zelensky said on Tuesday that nearly 100 children have died in Russian attacks in his country. since the invasion of Ukraine began nearly three weeks ago, the CNN network reported.
According to the official UN toll, which the organization acknowledges as partial, at least 691 civilians have died so far in the conflict, while 1,143 have been injured. Among the deaths, at least 30 children are reported. At least 43 children are also said to have been injured in the context of the ongoing Russian invasion since February 24.
With the Canadian Press