UCC Statement on the Current Situation in Ukraine

Recent developments in Ukraine have not only been dramatic, they have raised concerns about the future of Ukraine’s democracy. The hopes of millions of Ukrainians have been severely tested by the political turmoil and brinksmanship.

It is, of course, up to the voters of Ukraine to determine the nature of their government and the political direction that their country takes. It their responsibility, alone, to hold their political elites accountable to the popular will. Ukrainians should be able to peacefully resolve any conflicts among themselves without the interference of foreign powers or threats to undermine the sovereignty, territorial integrity and unity of the Ukrainian state.

Nevertheless, Canadians of Ukrainian descent are not indifferent to events in Ukraine. While the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) does not endorse any particular political leader or party, it supports the creation of a fully democratic and tolerant society, firmly based on the rule of law, which allows all Ukrainian citizens–regardless of their ethnicity, religion or where they live–to achieve their potential and to enjoy prosperous, happy lives.

Functioning democracies are the product of slow, difficult and generations-long processes marked by occasional setbacks and periods of heightened tension and instability. The attempt to establish a democratic culture in Ukraine has obviously been complicated by a long and often bloody legacy of corrupt and authoritarian rule, as well as Ukraine’s relatively short-lived experience of independent statehood.

Consequently, it is important to defend two real gains of the Orange Revolution regardless of the make-up of any government in Kyiv. The first is the hard-won freedom of the Ukrainian media, which must be maintained if the citizens are going to make informed choices about their destiny. The second is free and fair elections, which were achieved thanks to the courage and determination of the Ukrainian people but could be easily sabotaged by the return to power of some of the politicians who remain steeped in the habits of one-party dictatorships.

It is no less important to continue the struggle for an impartial and professional judiciary capable of bringing to justice those individuals who seek to thwart the evolution of civil society or the protection of human rights. The development of a healthy civic identity is also essential if Ukrainian society is going to develop harmoniously and withstand the pressures from those who would like to bring about the failure or partial dismemberment of the Ukrainian state. These four pillars of a democratic culture must be preserved and strengthened.

Citizens and supporters of Ukraine must understand that the Ukrainian language and culture need to be protected and nurtured if Ukraine is to shed her colonial inheritance. While the Russian language and culture enjoyed preferential treatment under the Tsars and the Soviet Communist regime, and have never been oppressed in Ukraine, Ukraine’s native heritage has been deliberately weakened by systematic discrimination and an aggressive policy of Russification pursued for more than two centuries. Indeed, the survival of the Ukrainian language and culture, and the very existence of a distinct Ukrainian nation, has been under almost constant jeopardy throughout Ukraine’s modern history. Arbitrary policies and secret decrees; artificial famines, deportations and sweeping purges; arrests and executions of artists and cultural leaders; as well as large-scale resettlement strategies have been used to prevent the evolution of Ukrainian society and to ensure the hegemony of distant capitals.

In fostering the use of Ukrainian by granting it exclusive official status in the government sphere, Ukrainians are not denigrating or devaluing the Russian language or the ethnic Russian minority in Ukraine, but are merely trying to correct a longstanding injustice. And, whereas the Russian language and culture continue to flourish over Russia’s vast territory and in Ukraine, Ukrainians still must struggle to win linguistic and cultural equality at home. This is why the UCC strongly opposes Russian being made an official language of Ukraine and deplores the efforts by those Ukrainian politicians who seek to violate Ukraine’s constitution and to provoke societal discord over the language question.

Although the last six months have been full of anxiety and the future can be expected to be fraught with some uncertainty, it is crucial that Ukraine’s friends not submit to cynicism or indifference. A democratic, independent and prosperous Ukraine is vital for the stability of Eastern Europe and is in the best long-term interests of democracy in Russia and all the former republics of the USSR.

The UCC, therefore, urges the Government of Canada to not break faith with Ukraine. For cultural and historical reasons, and because of similar geo-political realities, Canada enjoys a unique relationship with Ukraine that was forged with our recognition of Ukraine’s independence and strengthened by the leading role that Canadian observers played in the disputed 2004 presidential elections. As Canadians are highly regarded in Ukraine for their sense of fairness, moderation, and strong commitment to the world community, Canada’s continued support for Ukraine sends a powerful signal to Ukrainian citizens that they are not alone in their efforts to achieve a genuine democracy.

Specifically, Canada can help Ukraine by: 1) facilitating Ukraine’s early accession into the World Trade Organization; 2) encouraging Ukraine’s integration into Euro-Atlantic structures and the adoption of accepted European practices, standards and values; 3) insisting that Ukraine not be subjected to energy blackmail; 4) actively supporting the development of civil society in Ukraine through the work of CIDA; and 5) promoting the expansion of bilateral trade with the establishment of a permanent trade commission office in Canada’s Kyiv embassy.

Although the years of Ukraine’s independence have been accompanied by many painful changes forced by the collapse of the totalitarian Communist state, the Ukrainian people have made many positive steps to improve their lives. Just as they showed great patience, discipline and determination during the contentious 2004 Presidential elections, so too must Canadians now demonstrate the same virtues by standing with Ukraine as it grapples with the burden of its past and seeks its way forward to a brighter future.

This is an abridged version of the UCC statement issued in August.