Good morning. Thank you.

We were just having some audio issues, but I hope you can hear me now.

I'll read the opening statement, and then we're available for questions.

On behalf of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, it's a pleasure to be here today virtually to speak with you. I'll read our opening statement on this matter at this point.

For many centuries, all of the inhabitants who lived on the territory of what is Ukraine today, including the Jewish people, suffered successive occupations by foreign empires and colonizers who sought to subjugate those for whom Ukraine was home. Some 30 years ago, with the declaration of Ukrainian independence and statehood, the difficult process of reaching mutual understanding and comity began—and it continues to this day.

The history of World War II in Ukraine is complex and difficult to easily summarize. Ukraine was caught between the two tyrannies of Hitler and Stalin. In the 20th century, Ukraine was the centre of what Yale historian Timothy Snyder has called the “Bloodlands”.

The Ukrainian people fought for their independence in WWI and WWII, and are now fighting for the freedom of Europe. Without their own state, Ukrainians fought in different military formations, but always in pursuit of a free and independent Ukraine and against Soviet, Bolshevik and Russian tyranny.

Following the incident in Canada's Parliament this fall, our community was once again subjected to a familiar disinformation narrative smearing Ukrainians, which originated from the Soviet Union and is now being used by the Russian Federation.

It is unfortunate and hurtful that many ill-informed politicians and members of the media chose to engage with simplistic and inaccurate narratives, instead of relying on the findings of a Canadian commission of inquiry. As one of Canada's pre-eminent scholars of Ukrainian history, Dr. Paul Robert Magocsi, chair of Ukrainian studies at the University of Toronto, stated, “There is simply no proof that the Galicia Division engaged in war crimes”. The characterization of former members of the Galicia Division collectively as Nazis, fascists, war criminals or monsters is inflammatory and unsupported by the historical record.

In the 1980s, the Government of Canada called a commission—the Deschênes commission—to investigate claims that thousands of Nazi war criminals were hiding in Canada. The commission found that:

Between 1971 and 1986, public statements by outside interveners concerning alleged war criminals residing in Canada have spread increasingly large and grossly exaggerated figures as to their estimated number.

The commission also found that:

Charges of war crimes against members of the Galicia Division have never been substantiated, neither in 1950 when they were first preferred, nor in 1984...nor before this Commission.

It has been the long-standing position of our community that, if there is evidence of any wrongdoing by any individual, regardless of who they are or when they committed a crime, this evidence should be brought to the attention of Canada's war crimes unit to be pursued in that forum and not in the court of public opinion.

As Dr. Magocsi stated, “It is not in the interest of Canada for politicians and the media to distort the historical past and besmirch the reputation of an individual in order to gain some ostensible advantage in the Canadian political arena.”

The disinformation narrative smearing Ukrainians originates from the Soviet days and now is being used by the Russian Federation in an attempt to discredit an independent Ukrainian democracy. This is an effort to sow social division within Canada and other western democracies. It is an attempt by Russia to distract from the war of annihilation against Ukraine that it wages, which this Parliament has correctly and unanimously recognized as a genocide against the Ukrainian people.

Every day, including last night, Ukrainians cities are being bombed by Russian missiles. Every day, Russia is murdering Ukrainian civilians, abducting Ukrainian children and committing war crimes and crimes against humanity.

It is the defence of Ukraine and ensuring Ukraine's victory over Russia which the UCC and our community are seized with at this time. We invite all members of this committee, all parliamentarians and the Government of Canada to join us in this effort.

Thank you.