Two years in, the Russian invasion of Ukraine remains an affront to humanity 

Today, on the two-year anniversary of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce reiterates our deep dismay that Ukraine’s sovereignty is still under attack and the Ukrainian people must still live under siege. The Putin government’s brutal invasion violates both the rule of law and the international norms on which democratic societies and free economic systems rest.  

The starting point for ensuring a better future for Canadians and Ukrainians is to recognize how much has changed. The world is a fundamentally more dangerous place as democracies find themselves under assault from increasingly assertive undemocratic regimes.  

This conflict presents serious choices for our political leaders, for businesses and for citizens, both here in Canada and among our democratic allies. 

If it was ever more than a dangerous illusion for Canadians to believe that our geography makes us safe from the conflicts that tear apart countries in other parts of the world, there is certainly no room for complacency now. We do not live on an island where what we hold most dear is secure while the lives and freedoms of others are stolen from them. 

Canada was the first Western nation to recognize Ukraine’s independence in 1991. Since then, we have enjoyed close trade relations with Ukraine, and Canada has benefited from the over one million Canadians who are of Ukrainian heritage. We have been both the benefactor and the beneficiary as Ukrainians have chosen to make new lives here. 

What is taking place in Ukraine is first and foremost a human tragedy, but it has important economic consequences as well. Canada’s relationship with Ukraine is both strategic and mutually beneficial. We play a significant and important role in each other’s economies. Over the decades, Canada’s economy and population have profited from hundreds of millions of dollars of Ukrainian technology and products, in addition to our own pharmaceutical, machinery and aquaculture exports to that country.  

It is in Canada’s best interest to maintain this relationship, which is why the Canadian Chamber wholeheartedly supports the legislation passed earlier this month to update Canada’s free trade agreement with Ukraine. This legislation underscores Canada’s commitment to our long-standing friend and acknowledges our decades of trade. It positions us to support Ukraine in its economic recovery and further its physical, economic and energy security. And highlights the need for strategic, long-term investment in trade infrastructure to strengthen Canada’s vulnerable supply chains so Canada, Ukraine and other partners can continue successful trade even during times of geopolitical crisis.  

The Canadian Chamber supports efforts by Canada and its allies to end the conflict. We express our continued solidarity with the Ukrainian people and the Ukrainian business community during these tragic times. Let us work with our democratic partners around the world so we will never have to mark another such anniversary.  

This article originally appeared in iPolitics.