Ukrainian MPs ask Canada to provide money for weapons to fight Russia

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OTTAWA — Ukrainian legislators are asking Canada to provide their nation the cash it wants to purchase heavy navy weaponry, warning the one option to safe peace with Russia is by defeating it on the battlefield.

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5 Ukrainian parliamentarians issued their attraction after assembly in individual with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and different authorities officers in a determined bid to safe extra assist for his or her besieged nation.

The delegation dismissed the prospects for a negotiated peace as one other failed try and rescue civilians from the town of Mariupol and an explosion at a Russian gasoline depot Friday threatened to undermine the newest spherical of talks.

The Ukrainian legislators as a substitute listed three precedence areas during which they mentioned Ukraine wants extra assist: additional sanctions on Russia, monetary help — and extra weapons.

“The one option to get actual negotiations with Russia is to attain navy superiority on the bottom,” mentioned delegation member Anastasia Radina.

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“Ukraine has to win the struggle to maintain Russian troopers out of our lands. That is our solely choice. To be able to try this, what Ukraine wants is deadly weaponry. Heavy weaponry.”

Ukraine has given a “complete” checklist of urgently wanted navy {hardware} to Canada, Radina added, which incorporates tanks and anti-aircraft methods.

“We can’t do that with rifles, now we have to have heavy weapons to kick Russians from our territory,” mentioned fellow delegation member Yevheniya Kravchuk.

“As a result of if we speak concerning the finish of this struggle, we imply profitable on this struggle as a result of apart from that, (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is not going to cease.”

Canada has despatched a number of tranches of navy gear to Ukraine, together with anti-tank weapons, since Russian forces first attacked in late February.

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However Defence Minister Anita Anand has mentioned the Canadian Armed Forces’ stockpile of obtainable gear is now tapped out. She and Trudeau have mentioned the federal government is as a substitute looking to buy off-the-shelf weapons for Ukraine.

The Ukrainian delegation mentioned it’s potential to purchase wanted weapons from European nations, which is why they’re asking the Liberal authorities to offer cash for that goal in subsequent week’s federal funds.

“On funds to buy weapons, this is among the requests we made,” Radina mentioned. “And I hope we delivered the sense of urgency of this request.”

The delegation warned about delays attributable to “bureaucratic decision-making,” saying weapons are wanted instantly.

The legislators additionally requested that Canada present direct monetary help to the federal government in Kyiv, which they are saying is struggling to make ends meet as a result of financial injury attributable to Russia’s invasion.

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The Worldwide Financial Fund launched US$1.4 billion in emergency funds to Ukraine final month to deal with the “substantial” financial injury attributable to the struggle, which has killed 1000’s of troopers and civilians.

“We’re wanting not just for assist from the Worldwide Financial Fund, however we’re in search of direct financing to our state funds,” mentioned delegation chair Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze.

The Ukrainian legislators mentioned they delivered their attraction in a gathering on Thursday with Trudeau and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, who can also be Canada’s finance minister and of Ukrainian descent.

“We’re impressed by the courageous individuals of Ukraine, and their super battle towards Putin’s barbaric invasion,” Freeland’s spokeswoman Adrienne Vaupshas mentioned in a press release.

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“As now we have mentioned for the reason that starting of this struggle, all choices are on the desk to make sure Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will fail.”

Kravchuk instructed reporters that an air raid siren sounded on her cellphone throughout the delegation’s assembly with the prime minister.

“That meant that within the neighbourhood the place my eight-year-old daughter resides, there was an tried air assault and my daughter had to enter the basement as a substitute of go to highschool,” she mentioned.

A minimum of 148 kids have been killed in Ukraine for the reason that begin of Russia’s invasion, she mentioned, including the precise quantity is probably going a lot greater.

Delegates additionally accused Putin, the Russian authorities and navy of perpetrating struggle crimes, and thanked Canada for asking the Worldwide Prison Court docket to research.