Honourable senators, before I begin, I would like to acknowledge and thank my colleague Senator Loffreda for letting me speak in his stead.

Colleagues, today marks the thousandth day since the beginning of Russia’s unprovoked and genocidal war on Ukraine — a terrible flouting of the rule of international law by a member of the UN Security Council, nonetheless.

Russia has also contravened all the rules of war, using rape, torture, ecosystem destruction and attacks on civilian homes, schools and places of worship as part of its military strategy. Names such as Bucha and Irpin will live forever in infamy.

This was a war that Putin expected to win within a month. What a miscalculation that was. What resilience the Ukrainian people have shown. We all remember President Zelenskyy’s comment when he was offered escape to Europe: “Ya tut” and “I need ammunition, not a ride.”

This is also a war that the West has let drag on much longer than necessary, using containment and appeasement while thousands of innocents have died.

Colleagues, I hope you will support me as I mark this horrible anniversary by condemning Russia, its leader, its parliament and its military for this genocidal war that it is waging on innocents just because Russia is afraid of democracy, just because Russia wants it old empire back, just because Russia has become used to being a bully on which the West has not yet set limits.

I also hope you will support me as I call for greater military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine. A comprehensive peace will not come if Ukraine is forced to negotiate from a position of weakness. A comprehensive peace can only come about when Ukraine wins the war and can negotiate from a position of strength.

Colleagues, I hope that you will also join me as I call for the return from Russia of all Ukrainian children who have been stolen, stripped of their cultural and linguistic identity, forced to live with unknown and often hostile families or forced into labour or trafficked.

Canada is leading an international consortium to bring back and to support them. Recently, the founder of Save Ukraine, an NGO dedicated to this work, visited Canada and met with many of you. We are stepping up, but there is so much to do.

Colleagues, as we sadly mark this 1,000 days, let us not forget that Ukraine is fighting for the same values that have made Canada the country we call home. We need to stand with Ukraine not only with our words but with our deeds as well.

Slava Ukraini. Thank you. D’akuju.