BRAMA, July 9, 2009, 9:00 AM ET
Press release
The Euro-Atlantic Future of Ukraine—A Canadian Perspective
Remarks by Borys Wrzesnewskyj, Member of Parliament for Etobicoke Centre (Canada), read at Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic Future Forum IV in Kharkiv, Ukraine on June 23, 2009.
Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic Future: International Forum IV
(Kharkiv, Ukraine June 23-24, 2009)
President Yushchenko, members of the diplomatic corps, parliamentarians, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.
In Canada, the names of two of our former Prime Ministers are intimately associated with NATO: Louis St. Laurent and Lester B. Pearson. Both played indispensable roles in mapping out Canada's support for and vision of NATO. (1)
In the aftermath of the Second World war with Europe's democracies economically and militarily weakened while concurrently facing the expansionist ideology of the Soviet Union, Canada's then Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Louis St. Laurent underscored in a 1947 speech to the UN General Assembly that there was an urgent need for a defensive regional security organization under Article 51 of the UN Charter that would pool the economic and political resources of North Atlantic democracies.
St. Laurent passed the torch for the establishment of a North Atlantic Alliance to his then deputy Lester B. Pearson who rejected "old fashioned" strictly military alliances in favour of a treaty amongst a group of democracies with similar creeds to "promote the economic well-being of peoples to achieve social justice… on the side of peace and progress."
During the debates taking place on the competing visions for a North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Canada attached great importance to an alliance which would embrace economic, social and cultural fields; a NATO which, in Pearson's words, would not be solely "an instrument of unimaginative militarism."
In reality, when the North Atlantic Treaty was finally negotiated and signed in April 1949, the Alliance's mandate focused on the military component, with the all-important Article 5 which stated "an attack on one or more shall be considered an attack against all…"
However, we cannot forget Canada's contribution, Article 2, known as "the Canadian Article" which states that "the parties will…bring about a better understanding of the principles upon which their institutions are founded…will seek to eliminate conflict in their economic policies and encourage economic collaboration."
Although Article 2 was downplayed throughout the second half of the twentieth century, in actuality NATO became the shield behind which an economic and political European Union eventually developed.
In December of 1991 the world witnessed two historically critical events in Europe: the signing of the Maastricht Treaty giving birth to the modern EU, and the overwhelming plebiscite vote for independence in Ukraine ensuring the demise of the Soviet Union. This particular month marks the final victory of a democratic, free market, collaborative vision over a totalitarian, communist, and imperialist vision for the future.
With the collapse of the Soviet empire many currently question the need for NATO and especially NATO's expansion; others seek a role for NATO in far-off theatres such as Afghanistan. Perhaps instead we should return to the formative debates surrounding NATO's birth as expounded by both the Right Honourable Louis St. Laurent and the Right Honourable Lester B. Pearson: NATO as a shield behind which nascent democracies can thrive and economic collaboration flourishes, rendering regional threats untenable.
At the present time, East European countries seek NATO's expanding shield knowing that the economic and political benefits of European Union membership will surely follow NATO membership. It is for these reasons that former Warsaw Pact countries as well as the former Soviet Baltic Republics have joined NATO. Today it is NATO's expanding shield which is the organization's raison d'etre, providing regional and geopolitically stability.
In June of 2008 I had the honour and privilege of addressing Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic Future Forum II in Kyiv. In my concluding remarks, I stated that:
"Ukraine is confronted with a historic choice: to join the North Atlantic union, or not. To join a NATO that has historically proven itself as a guarantor of independence, democracy and [economic] prosperity of its member states. To embrace, or not to embrace, the family of democratic and free market NATO countries is a decision that only Ukraine can make."
I also reassured the gathered participants that "Canada said 'yes' to the union with France and England in the 1940s; Canada said 'yes' to Germany in the 1950s and 'yes' to the countries of Central Europe and the Baltic States in the 1990s; and, in 2008, Canada is ready to say 'yes' to Ukraine." (2)
I made these statements with confidence. Ukraine is not peripheral to Canada's interests. In fact, Canada has a formal "special relationship" with Ukraine and there is unanimity among Canada's political parties in support of Ukraine's democratic processes and institutions, and Ukraine's joining Canada in our NATO family.
Several examples will help to back this up. Since 2005, one of the largest and most dynamic parliamentary associations in Canada has been the Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Frienship Group, which I had the privilege of chairing from 2005-2006, and serving as Vice-Chair from 2007-2008. Members of this parliamentary association come from all political parties and it has been proactive in unanimously supporting Ukraine's aspirations to join NATO.
In a January 2009 statement on ratification of NATO accession protocols for Albania and Croatia, Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister underscored that the ratification of these protocols "sends a clear message that will inspire other NATO aspirant countries to continue on the path of integration and reform," while our Defence Minister stressed that the "addition of new members strengthens Euro-Atlantic security." (3)
In early April 2009 Canada's Prime Minister expressed our country's strong support for Ukraine joining NATO stating that Ukraine "is on a path to a better future for its people, and I call upon our NATO partners to agree that we should keep Ukraine moving forward toward full membership in the alliance." He went on to state that: "The Ukrainian people naturally yearn for greater freedom, democracy and prosperity. Canada will do everything in its power to help Ukraine realize these aspirations, including backing its bid for NATO membership." (4)
Recently, I organized and participated in three policy roundtable meetings in Edmonton, Winnipeg and Toronto with Michael Ignatieff, the Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and the Leader of the Official Opposition, with the leaders of Ukrainian Canadian organizations. As reported in Edmonton's Ukrainian News, Michael Ignatieff, the Leader of the Official Opposition in Canada pledged: "Assistance in decreasing Ukraine's energy dependency upon Russia by sharing Canada's nuclear technology with Ukraine" and "support for Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity and membership in NATO." (5) Mr. Ignatieff made it clear that should he become Prime Minister he would actively engage our NATO allies on behalf of Ukraine's NATO membership. (6)
This same sentiment was echoed by Canada's head of state, the Governor General, during her meeting with President Yushchenko in late April 2009. During this meeting, the Governor General stated: "You can count on Canada's support as we continue to forge strong ties between our peoples, develop our bilateral relations, and stand beside you in your Euro-Atlantic aspirations." (7)
As international and domestic experts gather to share their findings and views at Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic Future: International Forum IV, it is important for you to know that Canada's government and Canadian parliamentarians stand firmly in support of Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic aspirations.
The above quotes show that there is strong support for Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic ambitions and that this support reaches across party lines.
Ultimately, it is up to Ukraine to determine if she wishes to join the North Atlantic union, or not. It is up to Ukraine to decide if she wants to join in partnership in our family of democratic and free market NATO countries.
However, let me reassure you that Canada remains ready and willing to support Ukraine and the historic choice she faces.
Notes
(1) Norman Hillmer, "NATO: When Canada Really Mattered," The Canadian Encyclopedia, http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=ArchivedFeatures&Params=A245.
(2) "Keynote Address by Borys Wrzesnewskyj, M.P. (Etobicoke Centre): Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic Future Forum II (Kyiv, June 2, 2008), http://boryswrzesnewskyj.liberal.ca/p3585_e.aspx also available at http://usukrainianrelations.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=195&Itemid=112.
(3) Government of Canada, News Release, "Canada Ratifies NATO Accession Protocols for Albania and Croatia," 14 January 2009, http://w01.international.gc.ca/MinPub/Publication.aspx?lang=eng&publication_id=386735&docnum=10.
(4) Government of Canada, News Release, "Prime Minister Harper Backs Ukraine's Progress Toward NATO Membership," 2 April 2008, http://pm.gc.ca/eng/media.asp?id=2053.
(5) Marco Levytsky, "Ignatieff Pledges Commitment on Key Issues," Ukrainian News (Edmonton), 5-17 March 2009, p. 1. Cf. Borys Wrzesnewskyj, "Liberal Leader's Policies Win Over Skeptics," Edmonton Journal, 13 March 2009, p. A19, http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Cars/Liberal+leader+policies+over+skeptics+says/1384760/story.html.
(6) "Ignatieff Would Push U.S., U.K. for Security Guarantees Should NATO Not Go Through," Ukrainian News, 5-17 March 2009, p. 3.
(7) Governor General of Canada, News Release, "Productive Dialogue Between the Governor General and the President of Ukraine in Kyiv," 23 April 2009, http://www.gg.ca/media/doc.asp?lang=e&DocID=5703.
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