OPINION: Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and the Independence of Ukraine

I thought my attached recent article in the Globe and Mail, a tribute to former Prime Minister of Canada, the Rt. Hon. Brian Mulroney, who passed away in late February, might also be of interest to readers of Kyiv Post and young Ukrainians generally, who don’t know the history of Ukraine’s achieving independence.

Brian Mulroney was a dear friend of mine and became a friend of Ukraine as a result of a 1989 Canadian trade mission which I led, and his visit to Kyiv on Nov. 23, 1989, to announce his decision to open a Canadian consulate in Kyiv.

I am also sharing a photo (which he gave me subsequently) of the Taras Shevchenko Park event as we were walking back to the limos and to meet the throng of students gathered on the steps of the Taras Shevchenko National University.

Under Mulroney’s leadership, Canada was then the first Western and G7 country to celebrate Ukraine’s independence in 1991.

I wrote in the Globe and Mail: “The impact of Mr. Mulroney’s many accomplishments will be felt for generations to come, but for Ukrainian Canadians, his support for Ukraine over his entire political career will be warmly remembered.”

“In 2007, then-president Viktor Yushchenko awarded Mr. Mulroney with Ukraine’s highest honor – membership in the Order of Kniaz (Prince) Yaroslav the Wise, in recognition of his visionary leadership and friendship.”

Other Topics of Interest

Eurotopics: EU Starts Accession Talks With Ukraine and Moldova

However, it remains to be seen how long the negotiations will last and whether they will culminate in accession. Commentators discuss the next steps.

Read my tribute to Brian Mulroney in the Globe and Mail here.