If any country knows Ukraine's story well, it's Canada - home to 1.2 million people of Ukrainian descent, as well as many others - Jews, Mennonites, Russians and Poles - who trace their ancestry either to Ukraine or the neighborhood.
If any ambassador knows Ukraine’s story well, it’s Roman Waschuk, on the job since October in representing the North American country of 35 million people. Waschuk, 53, was born to Ukrainians who fled after World War II as teenagers and settled in Canada. He grew up speaking Ukrainian (as well as French and English) and also served in the Canadian Embassy during Ukraine’s wild and flamboyantly corrupt early independence years from 1994-1998.
So no introductions are usually needed when it comes to Canadians and Ukrainians, at least not to the degree required in Ukraine’s relationships with many other nations.
With Ukrainian emigration to Canada starting 125 years ago, the Ukrainian influence is “woven into the fabric” of Canadian society, Waschuk said. More than 13 percent of Saskatchewan province, in particular, is of Ukrainian descent. “Canada integrates people into our political system early on through citizenship,” the ambassador said.
His parents are examples of that successful integration. His father became an electrical engineer who designed the electrical lighting system for Expo 67, the world’s fair held in Montreal. “It’s an example of how somebody who in one sense is ‘off the boat’ as a displaced person and 17 years later is part of a big national project,” Waschuk said. “It’s part of an inclusive society.”
Waschuk’s “hyphenated” background as a Ukrainian-Canadian, linguistic skills and passion for both nations have made him stand out as one of the most active members of the Western diplomatic corps.
“It allows for a more direct form of communication,” said Waschuk of his multilingualism. He also learned German and Serbian, serving as ambassador to Serbia before coming to Ukraine.
“Being able to talk to people and trying to get in their heads – to figure out what they’re really saying — is one of the keys to diplomacy,” Waschuk said. “Equally important is what you say. Ukraine is fortunate to have a very dedicated and active international, especially Western diplomatic community, that is working its collective behinds off to both understand and assist Ukraine.”
Despite a solid bilateral relationship, there’s no question it could be much better – at least in terms of trade and investment.
Many Canadians came during the early 1990s and lost money, due to Ukraine’s corruption, creating “a lot of disappointment,” Waschuk said. “There may have been some people motivated more by emotion than sheer cold calculation and were taken advantage of by unscrupulous partners and officials.”
Also, while cultural and climatic similarities exist, the nations are far apart geographically.
All these factors have combined in these unimpressive statistics: Annual trade between the nations sits at less than $300 million and cumulative Canadian investment in Ukraine, since 1991, stands at just $72 million.
The nations are trying to reassure investors with a foreign investment protection agreement, contingent on Ukraine adhering to rule of law, and a bilateral free trade agreement that is under negotiation. “Ukraine is developing the tools that will reassure foreign investors,” Waschuk said.
The ambassasdor is also “encouraging Ukraine to note the fact that 97 percent of the Canadian population aren’t of Ukrainian background. They offer huge opportunites and great interest as well in what they can offer Ukraine.”
Canada’s bilateral assistance to Ukraine has reached nearly $600 million, most of which is in the form of low-interest loans, but also $50 million in direct aid “focused on training and empowering Ukrainians.” Various private philanthropic initiatives boost the gift total by an estimated $10 million per year.
Canada is helping to fund Ukraine’s 100 legal aid centers, which ensure that poor people are represented in court. “It’s remarkable good news and not such a prominent news story, but half of acquitals were achieved by free legal aid criminal lawyers, and representation will be extended to civil and administrative courts,” Waschuk said.
Canada also helped start Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau, and has a Canadian working there, and assisted in starting Kyiv’s pilot police force.
“We’re trying to take a comprehensive approach,” he said. “I think it’s a work in progress.”
Canada has gotten insults from Russia for its strong defense of Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin has denigrated Canada as subservient to America and derided its military capabilities. While it amounts to diplomatic trash-talking, the truth is that Canada’s defense spending is only 1 percent of its gross domestic product, short of the 2 percent asked of NATO members. Canada’s Minister of Defense Jason Kenney will be in Kyiv this weekend in a timely visit.
The Kremlin criticism is “yet another example of Russian bullying,” Waschuk said. “Canada makes no excuses for its strong and principled stance in support of Ukraine.”
Canada has been providing non-lethal military aid to Ukraine, and is helping train small military units. U.S. policy in opposition of sending lethal aid to Ukraine is often expressed by the sentiment that “there is no military solution” to the situation. To that, Waschuk said: “I wish President Putin was also convinced of the truth of that statement.”
Ukraine is now “holding its own” against Russian-separatist forces at the war front, a stalemate that has given Ukraine time to tackle other problems and “move on some of the fundamentals, not all of them at the same pace,” he said.
Canada Day is restarting after a three-year pause. In the past, the format was mainly an informal barbecue among members of the 1,500-member Canadian community. This year’s invitation-only reception will take place 6 p.m. on July 1 at the open-air atrium of the Toronto Kyiv center, an 83,000 square foot, mixed-used hotel and office center on Velyka Vasylkivska.
“Canada has been doing a whole lot for the last year to support the new Ukraine,” Waschuk said. “It’s been a very difficult period, but also one full of promise. So it’s time to celebrate that.”
Kyiv Post chief editor Brian Bonner can be reached at [email protected]
