September 2, 2016. OTTAWA. The Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) is calling on G20 leaders to suspend Russia’s participation in the G20 and bolster sanctions against Russia in order put pressure on Russian President Putin to end Russia’s war against Ukraine and Russia’s occupation of sovereign Ukrainian territory in the Crimea and Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.
G20 leaders will meet in China on September 4-5 to discuss key issues facing the global economy. To continue to allow Russia a seat at such important decision-making forums as the G20 while Russia continues to wage a war of aggression against Ukraine only feeds Putin’s profoundly cynical calculation that short-term financial and economic interests trump values and principles.
In 2014, G7 leaders suspended Russia’s participation in the G8 “until Russia changes course and the environment comes back to where the G8 is able to have a meaningful discussion.” It is time for G20 leaders to send a strong message to President Putin that Russia’s aggression is unacceptable and suspend Russia’s participation in the G20.
“The international community must make a concerted multilateral effort to isolate Putin’s regime until such time as Russia respects international law, obligations and responsibilities,” stated Paul Grod, National President of the UCC. “Putin has made clear through his actions that he understands only strength. Sanctions against Russia must be strengthened, including removing Russia from the SWIFT payments system, and Russia must be further isolated until it changes course and ends its escalating aggression against Ukraine and other states.”
CALL TO ACTION – CONTACT YOUR MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT
Yesterday, the Ukrainian Canadian Congress wrote to Canada’s Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, asking him, as the leader of one of Ukraine’s strongest international supporters, “to advocate for the suspension of the Russian Federation from the G20 and to increase sanctions on Russia for its continued occupation and war against Ukraine.”
To view the letter from UCC to Prime Minister Trudeau please see here: 1 Sept 2016 UCC letter to PM Trudeau re G20
Please contact your Member of Parliament and express your support for suspending Russia from the G20 and increasing sanctions against Russia, while helping Ukraine defend itself with enhanced military support, economic backing and technical assistance to further reforms in Ukraine.”
To find the contacts for your Member of Parliament by Postal Code, please see here: http://www.lop.parl.gc.ca/ParlInfo/compilations/houseofcommons/memberbypostalcode.aspx?Menu=HOC
Op-Ed by UCC President Paul Grod in ipolitics: Putin has no business being at the G20
