UCC President Alexandra Chyczij issued the following statement:
The Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) welcomes the passage of the Budget Implementation Act that enables the federal government to seize and sell Russian assets that have been frozen under Canadian sanctions. At parliamentary committees and in representations to government officials, the UCC advocated for the adoption of these measures.
The funds raised from the sale of these Russian assets will be used for the reconstruction of Ukraine and to assist the Ukrainian people, who have suffered greatly from Russia’s genocidal war of aggression.
According to the RCMP approximately $123,000,000 in assets have been frozen under the Russia regulations under the Special Economic Measures Act. The UCC calls on the Government of Canada to dedicate the necessary resources to identify all Russian assets that should be frozen, to move expeditiously to seize and sell these assets, and to use the proceeds to provide assistance to Ukraine.
The speedy and effective implementation of these measures will ensure that the Russian Federation is held accountable for the wanton and barbaric destruction that it has caused in Ukraine.