Defence Committee of Canadian parliament adopts resolution against Russian aggression in Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova

The Defence Committee of the Canadian Parliament has adopted a resolution in response to Russian aggression against Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia in the Black Sea region.

The resolution reads that Russia’s war in Georgia, as well as its illegal occupation of the two Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia)  since 2008, its illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, its involvement in the conflict in eastern Ukraine since 2014 and its continued military activities along NATO’s eastern flank “have given rise to concerns about its intentions in Central and Eastern Europe, but also elsewhere around the world.”

The resolution says that over the last 30 years, Russia has instigated a series of wars and conflicts in the Black Sea region in attempts to maintain regional spheres of influence, and to destabilise and deter countries like Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine from forging closer ties and integrating with the EU and NATO.

Russia has been arming and supporting pro-Russian rebel forces in the separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in Georgia and Transnistria in Moldova since the early 1990s. As well, it has stationed Russian troops and military equipment in those separatist territories.”

The Georgian Foreign Ministry hailed the resolution as very important. Photo: Foreign Ministry press office. 

Moreover, Russia fought a war against Georgia in 2008, occupied Abkhazia and South Ossetia in 2008, annexed Crimea in 2014, and has participated in the conflict in eastern Ukraine since 2014,” the resolution says.

The resolution made several recommendations to the Canadian government:

• To increase sanctions under the Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act (Sergei Magnitsky Law) against those connected to the ongoing aggression against Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia.
• To support the aspirations of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia to join the NATO alliance in due course.
• To negotiate defence cooperation agreements with Moldova and Georgia.
• To support Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia in their resistance to hybrid warfare attacks, specifically with regard to cyber-attacks on government systems and critical infrastructure, and in their resistance to the dissemination of foreign propaganda and disinformation through the media.
• To demand the release of all Ukrainian, Moldovan and Georgian political prisoners being held by Russia.
• To facilitate and strengthen parliamentary dialogue between Canada and Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.

The Georgian Foreign Ministry representative Vladimer Konstantinidi called the resolution “ very important” and placed  special emphasis on the recommendation which calls upon the Canadian government to enact sanctions against the individuals who have violated human rights in the occupied regions of Georgia.

See the full resolution text here.