St. Albert MP Michael Cooper is concerned that if Putin is not confronted, he will not be stopped.
“What we’re seeing over the last 22 days has been horrific. It is a naked act of aggression by the Putin regime, a regime that is committing war crimes as we speak, in terms of targeting civilians,” he said during a March 17 interview.
It was a full house in Ottawa on March 15, when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy gave an emotional speech in Canadian Parliament via a video link imploring the government to help make the skies above Ukraine a no-fly zone to block Russian airstrikes that have been killing Ukrainian civilians, including 97 children since the war began on Feb. 24.
Zelenskyy called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau by his first name and asked Trudeau and everyone present to understand his feelings and the feelings of Ukrainians over the last 20 days of full-scale aggression of the Russian Federation.
“Imagine that at 4 a.m., each of you start hearing bomb explosions. Severe explosions. Justin, can you imagine hearing it? You, your children, hear all these severe explosions: bombing of airport, bombing of Ottawa airport, tens of other cities of your wonderful country. Can you imagine that?
“Cruise missiles falling down, and your children asking you, ‘What happened?’ And you’re receiving the first news which infrastructure objects have been bombed and destroyed by Russian Federation, and you know how many people already died,” he said.
Zelenskyy continued painting the horrors that Ukraine has experienced over the course of the invasion, including the bombing of kindergartens across the country while asking Canadians to imagine those experiences in places such as Vancouver or Toronto.
His speech was interspersed with Canadian cities; imploring Canadians to imagine.
“Can you imagine when you call your friends, your friendly nation, and you ask: ‘Please close the sky, close the airspace, please stop the bombing. How many more cruise missiles have to fall on our cities until you make this happen?’
“And they, in return, they express their deep concerns about the situation.
“When we talk with our partners, they say, ‘Please hold on, hold on a little longer.’
Zelenskyy said Canada has always been steadfast in support and that Canada was at assistance at Ukraine’s earliest request. However, what is being done is not enough.
Zelenskyy said they are not asking for much, they are asking for justice and real support. He again, stated how important it is for Ukraine to close their airspace.
“Please expand your efforts to bring back peace in our peaceful country. I believe and I know that you can do it. We are part of the anti-war coalition and jointly I am sure that we’ll achieve results,” he said.
Trudeau introduced Zelenskyy and announced that Canada, in line with European Union partners, has imposed severe sanctions on 15 new Russian officials who have been complicit in “this illegal war.”
“Canada will continue to support Ukraine with military equipment, as well as financial and humanitarian assistance,” Trudeau said.
Party leaders including UCP interim leader Candice Bergen, Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, Green Party leader Elizabeth May, Speaker of the House Anthony Rota, and Speaker of the Senate George Furey all spoke to Zelenskyy during his virtual visit.
Bergen said Canada needs to protect, at minimum the airspace over the humanitarian corridors.
Cooper agrees.
“I think it is appropriate and necessary the airspace above humanitarian corridors be secure. With respect to a larger no-fly zone, as I say, no options should be taken off the table,” Cooper said.
May was the final person to speak. She tearfully read from a letter she was sent from Ukraine’s Green Party, a letter written from a bomb shelter.
“Ukrainians are indiscriminately hit. Collateral damage amounts to total destruction of cities. Thousands of civilians dead and injured. Millions are fleeing their homes,” she read.
“We are helpless. We have no weapons to counter air attacks. We appeal to you for support. Please urge your governments to help protect our sky by having a no-fly zone for the sake of world peace,” she read.
May said it broke her heart to write back to her colleague in Ukraine “that all elected brains around the world have come to the same conclusion that a no-fly zone will risk a wider war and even a nuclear war. We know these reasons are solid even though they ring hollow.”
When asked about whether he had concerns about a Third World War, Cooper said he has concerns that if Putin is not confronted, he will not stop. He said it’s a very dangerous situation.
“We do have to recognize that Russia is nuclear power. But I think some of the measures that have been taken to date have been helpful, necessary, but Zelenskyy said he needs more help,” said Cooper.
Measures that have been helpful, said Cooper, include providing lethal weapons to Ukraine, renewing a NATO mission in Latvia, and sanctions against proven officials; however, Cooper said Canada can and should do more.
On March 17, the Canadian federal government announced a Canada-Ukraine authorization for emergency travel (CUAET) for Ukrainian nationals and family members. The CUAET allows Ukrainians to apply for a fast-tracked free visitor visa which may be eligible for three years. Ukrainians can also apply for a free open work permit.
Data from the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) current from March 18, shows about 3.3 million people have fled Ukraine since Feb. 24.
Cooper, who was not physically in Parliament for Zelenskyy’s video appearance because it happened during constituency week, said he thinks there is unanimity or near unanimity among MPs from all parties in their support for Zelenskyy and the people of Ukraine.
And Russia might agree. On March 15 the Russian Foreign Ministry put out a statement “black listing” 313 Canadian citizens, including Trudeau, Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, and National Defence Minister Anita Anand and the majority of the House of Commons members, including Cooper, and others.
Those on the black list are now denied entry into the Russian Federation.
Cooper had only a few words to say about being on Russia’s black list.
“It’s a badge of honour.”
