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Prime Minister concludes successful visit to Belgium and announces additional support for Ukraine
March 24, 2022
Brussels, Belgium
The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today successfully concluded his trip to Brussels, Belgium. The Prime Minister addressed the European Parliament, and participated in an extraordinary North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Summit and a G7 Heads of State and Government Meeting.
To further build on Canada‘s coordinated response to Russia’s illegal, unprovoked, and unjustifiable aggression against Ukraine, the Prime Minister today announced additional measures to support Ukraine and hold Russia accountable for its invasion, including:
- Imposing new sanctions under the Special Economic Measures (Russia) Regulations on 160 members of the Russian Federation Council for having facilitated and enabled violations of Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity;
- Imposing in the coming days new prohibitions under the Special Economic Measures (Russia) Regulations to prohibit the export of certain goods and technologies to Russia, with the aim of undermining and eroding the capabilities of the Russian military;
- Allocating the remaining $50 million, from Canada’s $100 million contribution for humanitarian aid to Ukraine and neighbouring countries, including Moldova, to: the World Food Programme, the World Health Organization (WHO), the UN Refugee Agency, the Canadian Red Cross and People in Need to provide immediate assistance where it is needed most; and
- Allocating a total $4.8 million to UNESCO to protect Ukraine’s cultural and heritage sites.
On March 23, the Prime Minister addressed the European Parliament where he condemned President Putin’s war of choice and reaffirmed Canada’s steadfast commitment to Euro-Atlantic security, including by calling for further coordinated strong support for Ukraine in response to Russia’s aggression. He spoke of the need to continue working together to promote international peace and security and defend democracy. During his address, the Prime Minister highlighted the close partnership between Canada and the European Union based on our shared values.
On March 24, the Prime Minister met with leaders from Allied countries at the NATO Summit to build on our coordinated response to Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. They discussed the continued coordination of strong support for Ukraine and its people, and further strengthening NATO’s deterrence and defence measures in response to the new security reality in Europe.
The Prime Minister reaffirmed Canada’s steadfast commitment to the Alliance and NATO’s principle of collective defence. He highlighted Canada’s renewed commitment to defending NATO’s eastern flank and supporting eastern Allies through Operation REASSURANCE and Canada’s pledge to deploy additional troops, as part of NATO’s Response Force, if requested by NATO.
The Prime Minister also attended the G7 Heads of State and Government Meeting, where the leaders discussed strengthening G7 cooperation in light of Russia‘s unjustified, unprovoked and illegal invasion of an independent and sovereign Ukraine, and the ensuing global impacts. The Prime Minister reaffirmed Canada’s unwavering support for Ukraine and highlighted that Canada is ready to continue imposing additional economic measures in coordination with partners and allies worldwide.
While in Brussels, the Prime Minister also held bilateral meetings with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, and the Prime Minister of Finland, Sanna Marin.
The Prime Minister continues to engage with partners and allies on a regular basis to hold President Putin and his military accountable for this illegal and unjustifiable invasion, and to support Ukraine as it defends its people, its sovereignty, and its territorial integrity.
Quote
“Canada has been working in lockstep with our NATO, G7, and European Union allies and other partners around the world to hold Russia accountable for its ongoing, illegal, and unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine. Together, we will continue to support Ukraine as it defends its people, sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence, including through further coordinated economic sanctions and delivering critical humanitarian aid where it is needed most.”
Quick Facts
- Since Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, Canada has sanctioned 804 individuals and 203 entities, many in coordination with our allies. These include sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putin, members of the Russian Federation Council, ministers of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov, Defence Sergei Shoigu, Finance Anton Siluanov, Justice Konstantin Chuychenko and entities in the defence and financial sectors. Today’s sanctions bring this total to 964 individuals. Canada’s sanctions impose asset freezes and dealings prohibitions.
- The Restricted Goods and Technologies List will aim to undermine and erode the capabilities of the Russian military by prohibiting the export of a broad range of items to Russia, including in the areas of electronics, computers, telecommunications, sensors and lasers, navigation and avionics, marine, aerospace and transportation.
- Since January 2022, Canada has committed $180 million in humanitarian and development assistance to Ukraine. Of this, $50 million was allocated to the World Food Programme, the UN Refugee Agency, the World Health Organization, the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund, HelpAge, Save the Children, SOS Children’s Villages, and others to provide immediate assistance where it is needed most.
- Canadian Heritage, Parks Canada, and the Canada Council for the Arts (responsible for the Canadian Commission for UNESCO) are uniting to help Ukraine through UNESCO’s Heritage Emergency Fund. Their combined contribution of $4.8 million to the fund will support UNESCO’s efforts to quickly respond to crises resulting from armed conflicts and disasters, and in particular to the severe threats facing Ukraine.
- On March 8, 2022, Prime Minister Trudeau announced Canada will renew its multi-year commitment to Operation REASSURANCE, the Canadian Armed Forces support to NATO’s assurance and deterrence measures in Central and Eastern Europe, since 2014. This announcement is a year ahead of schedule and is in response to the changing security situation in Eastern Europe.
- Canada has up to 3,400 troops pledged to the NATO Response Force (NRF), to be deployed if directly requested by NATO. This is a mix of Army, Air Force and Maritime capabilities.
Related Products
- Statement by NATO Heads of State and Government
- G7 Leaders’ Statement
- Joint statement with President of the European Commission
- Sanctions – Russian invasion of Ukraine
Associated Links
- Prime Minister to travel to Belgium to meet with allies and partners to continue addressing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
- Canada and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
- Canada and the G7
- Canada and the European Union
- Canada’s response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Operation REASSURANCE
March 24, 2022
Ottawa, Ontario
The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today congratulated Joe Friday on his reappointment as Public Sector Integrity Commissioner of Canada for a term of 18 months.
With jurisdiction over most federal public sector organizations, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Crown corporations, the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner of Canada works to strengthen accountability and oversight of government operations. This includes investigating wrongdoing in the federal public sector and helping protect whistleblowers and those who participate in investigations from reprisal. The Commissioner reports directly to Parliament. The Office of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner of Canada is an independent federal organization that was created in 2007 under the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act.
Mr. Friday was first appointed to this role in 2015. Working in the federal public service since 1992, he joined the Office of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner of Canada in 2008 as General Counsel and was Deputy Commissioner from 2011 until his appointment as Commissioner.
Biographical Note
Associated Links
- Prime Minister announces nomination of Joe Friday for reappointment as Public Sector Integrity Commissioner of Canada
- Governor in Council appointments
- Meet Joe Friday
- Office of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner of Canada
March 24, 2022
Ottawa, Ontario
The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today congratulated Joe Friday on his reappointment as Public Sector Integrity Commissioner of Canada for a term of 18 months.
With jurisdiction over most federal public sector organizations, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Crown corporations, the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner of Canada works to strengthen accountability and oversight of government operations. This includes investigating wrongdoing in the federal public sector and helping protect whistleblowers and those who participate in investigations from reprisal. The Commissioner reports directly to Parliament. The Office of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner of Canada is an independent federal organization that was created in 2007 under the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act.
Mr. Friday was first appointed to this role in 2015. Working in the federal public service since 1992, he joined the Office of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner of Canada in 2008 as General Counsel and was Deputy Commissioner from 2011 until his appointment as Commissioner.
Biographical Note
Associated Links
- Prime Minister announces nomination of Joe Friday for reappointment as Public Sector Integrity Commissioner of Canada
- Governor in Council appointments
- Meet Joe Friday
- Office of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner of Canada
March 24, 2022
Brussels, Belgium
Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with the Prime Minister of Japan, Kishida Fumio, on the margins of the G7 meeting in Brussels.
Prime Minister Trudeau and Prime Minister Kishida strongly condemned Russia’s ongoing aggression against the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence of Ukraine, and praised the courage and resilience of the Ukrainian people. The two leaders discussed helping each other in the Pacific and the Atlantic regions to ensure that global support for Ukraine remains strong.
The prime ministers also discussed further collaboration to address global challenges related to rising energy costs and food security. They agreed to continue coordinating closely to bring an end to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war, and restore peace and freedom to Ukraine.
The leaders reaffirmed the strategic partnership between Canada and Japan, and reiterated their commitment to pursuing a shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific. They agreed to continue working closely together as Canada takes steps to deepen its engagement in the region through the development of its comprehensive Indo‑Pacific strategy.
Associated Links
- Canada-Japan relations
- Prime Minister concludes successful visit to Belgium and announces additional support for Ukraine
- Canada’s response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Canada’s engagement in Ukraine
- G7 Leaders’ Statement
March 24, 2022
Ottawa, Ontario
The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on the death of Madeleine Albright:
“It is with great sadness that I learned of the passing of former United States Secretary of State Madeleine Albright at the age of 84.
“As a refugee herself, Mrs. Albright was a force for good in the world and a trailblazer for women in government and beyond. Through her work for the National Security Council and as United States Ambassador to the United Nations – the second woman to hold that position – Mrs. Albright championed diplomacy and democratic values on the world stage.
“In 1997, she became the 64th United States Secretary of State and the first woman to serve in that position. At the time, she was the highest-ranking woman in the history of the United States government. As Secretary of State, Mrs. Albright promoted the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), successfully pressed for NATO’s intervention to end the humanitarian crisis in Kosovo, supported poverty reduction and debt relief efforts in developing countries, and advocated for the fight against climate change and environmental degradation on the world stage. In 2018, she said that she had no better relationship as Secretary of State than the one she had with Canada.
“Our country has lost a friend, who for many years demonstrated a deep commitment to our close partnership as we worked together to advance our shared values on the world stage. In addition to teaching as a professor at Georgetown University, Mrs. Albright was involved with a number of boards and foundations, and founded the Albright Institute for Global Affairs at Wellesley College. She also co-founded the Community of Democracies, an intergovernmental coalition of states, of which Canada is a Governing Council member, that upholds democratic values expressed in the Warsaw Declaration. In 2012, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States’ highest civilian honour, for her work to bring peace to the Balkans.
“On behalf of the Government of Canada, Sophie and I offer our deepest condolences to Mrs. Albright’s family, friends, and the people of the United States. She will be remembered for courage in championing democracy and diplomacy and paving the way for women around the world to become involved in politics.”
March 24, 2022
Brussels, Belgium
We, the Leaders of the G7, met today in Brussels at the invitation of the German G7 Presidency, to further strengthen our cooperation in light of Russia’s unjustifiable, unprovoked and illegal aggression and President Putin’s war of choice against independent and sovereign Ukraine. We will stand with the government and people of Ukraine.
We are united in our resolve to restore peace and stability and uphold international law. Following the United Nations General Assembly resolution on 2 March 2022, we will continue to stand with the overwhelming majority of the international community, in condemning Russia’s military aggression and the suffering and loss of life it continues to cause.
We remain appalled by and condemn the devastating attacks on the Ukrainian population and civilian infrastructure, including hospitals and schools. We welcome the investigations of international mechanisms, including by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. We will work together to support the gathering of evidence of war crimes. The siege of Mariupol and other Ukrainian cities, and the denial of humanitarian access by Russian military forces are unacceptable. Russian forces must immediately provide for safe pathways to other parts of Ukraine, as well as humanitarian aid to be delivered to Mariupol and other besieged cities.
The Russian leadership is obligated to immediately comply with the order of the International Court of Justice to suspend the military operations that it commenced on 24 February 2022 in the territory of Ukraine, without any further delay. We also urge Russia to withdraw its military forces and equipment from the entire territory of Ukraine.
We further call upon the Belarusian authorities to avoid further escalation and to refrain from using their military forces against Ukraine. Moreover, we urge all countries not to give military or other assistance to Russia to help continue its aggression in Ukraine. We will be vigilant regarding any such assistance.
We will spare no efforts to hold President Putin and the architects and supporters of this aggression, including the Lukashenko regime in Belarus, accountable for their actions. To this end, we will continue to work together, along with our allies and partners around the world.
We underline our resolve to impose severe consequences on Russia, including by fully implementing the economic and financial measures we already imposed. We will continue to cooperate closely, including by engaging other governments on adopting similar restrictive measures to those already imposed by G7 members and on refraining from evasion, circumvention and backfilling that seek to undercut or mitigate the effects of our sanctions. We task the relevant Ministers in a focused initiative to monitor the full implementation of sanctions and to coordinate responses related to evasive measures, including regarding gold transactions by the Central Bank of Russia. We stand ready to apply additional measures as required, continuing to act in unity as we do so. We commend those partners who have aligned with us in these efforts.
Russia’s attack has already risked the safety and security of nuclear sites in Ukraine. Russian military activities are creating extreme risks for the population and the environment, with the potential for catastrophic result. Russia must comply with its international obligations and refrain from any activity that imperils nuclear sites, allowing unhindered control by the Ukrainian authorities, as well as full access by and cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
We warn against any threat of the use of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons or related materials. We recall Russia’s obligations under the international treaties to which it is a signatory, and which protect us all. In this regard, we categorically denounce Russia’s malicious and completely unfounded disinformation campaign against Ukraine, a state in full compliance with international non-proliferation agreements. We express concern about other countries and actors that have amplified Russia’s disinformation campaign.
We are resolved in our support to the Ukrainian people in their heroic resistance to Russia’s unjustifiable and illegal aggression. We will step up our support to Ukraine and neighbouring countries. We thank all those who are already providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine and ask others to join. We will furthermore collaborate in our efforts to bolster democratic resilience and defend human rights in Ukraine and neighbouring countries.
We will continue efforts to support Ukraine in defending its networks against cyber incidents. In preparation for any Russian malicious cyber response to the actions we have taken, we are taking steps to increase the resilience of the infrastructure in our respective nations by strengthening our coordinated cyber defences and improving our shared awareness of cyber threats. We will also work to hold accountable those actors that engage in destructive, disruptive, or destabilising activities in cyberspace.
We further commend neighbouring states for their solidarity and humanity in welcoming Ukrainian refugees and third country nationals from Ukraine. We highlight the need to further increase international assistance to countries neighbouring Ukraine, and, as a concrete contribution to this end, underline our commitment to receiving, protecting, and supporting refugees and displaced persons as a consequence of the conflict. We thus all stand ready to welcome them on our territories. We will take further steps to broaden our support to Ukraine and neighbouring countries.
We are concerned by the escalating and reinforced repression against the Russian people and the increasingly hostile rhetoric of the Russian leadership, including against ordinary citizens. We deplore the Russian leadership’s attempt to deprive Russian citizens of access to unbiased information through censorship, and denounce its malicious disinformation campaigns, which we will not leave unaddressed. We express our support to those Russian and Belarusian citizens standing up against the unjustified war of aggression against their close neighbour Ukraine. The world sees them.
The people of Russia must know that we hold no grievances against them. It is President Putin, his government and supporters, including the Lukashenko regime in Belarus, who are imposing this war and its consequences on Russians and it is their decision that besmirches the history of the Russian people.
We are taking further steps to reduce our reliance on Russian energy, and will work together to this end. At the same time, we will ensure secure alternative and sustainable supplies, and act in solidarity and close coordination in the case of possible supply disruptions. We commit to actively support countries willing to phase out their dependency on Russian gas, oil and coal imports. We call on oil and gas producing countries to act in a responsible manner and to increase deliveries to international markets, noting that OPEC has a key role to play. We will work with them and all partners to ensure stable and sustainable global energy supplies. This crisis reinforces our determination to meet the goals of the Paris agreement and of the Glasgow climate pact and limit the rise in global temperatures to 1.5°C, by accelerating reduction of our reliance on fossil fuels and our transition to clean energy.
We stand in solidarity with our partners who have to bear the rising price of President Putin’s unilateral choice to wage war in Europe. His decision is putting the global economic recovery at risk, undermines the resilience of global value chains and will have severe impacts on the most fragile countries. We call on the international community to take action by fully recognising Russia’s responsibility and protecting the most vulnerable countries, with the support of international and regional institutions.
More immediately, President Putin’s war places global food security under increased pressure. We recall that the implementation of our sanctions against Russia takes into account the need to avoid impact on global agricultural trade. We remain determined to monitor the situation closely and do what is necessary to prevent and respond to the evolving global food security crisis. We will make coherent use of all instruments and funding mechanisms to address food security, and build resilience in the agriculture sector in line with climate and environment goals. We will address potential agricultural production and trade disruptions, in particular in vulnerable countries. We commit to provide a sustainable food supply in Ukraine and support continued Ukrainian production efforts.
We will work with and step up our collective contribution to relevant international institutions including the World Food Programme (WFP), in parallel with Multilateral Development Banks and International Financial Institutions, to provide support to countries with acute food insecurity. We call for an extraordinary session of the Council of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to address the consequences on world food security and agriculture arising from the Russian aggression against Ukraine. We call on all participants of the Agriculture Markets Information System (AMIS) to continue to share information and explore options to keep prices under control, including making stocks available, in particular to the WFP. We will avoid export bans and other trade-restrictive measures, maintain open and transparent markets, and call on others to do likewise, consistent with World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, including WTO notification requirements.
International organisations and multilateral fora should no longer conduct their activities with Russia in a business as usual manner. We will work closely with our partners to act as appropriate, based on shared interests, as well as rules and regulations of respective institutions.
