Here’s how Canada can help the besieged citizens of Ukraine

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This article was published 24/02/2022 (938 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

If the battle for Ukraine boils down to missiles versus money, it must be said that Canada will have limited impact.

The prime minister said it himself, in fact. Amidst the name-calling and the threats from our cabinet ministers to severely punish Russian President Vladimir Putin for invading Ukraine, Justin Trudeau has flatly stated that there’s only so much a middle power like Canada can do.

So let’s focus on where Canada can actually help most effectively — not in punishing Putin, but in helping Ukrainians, especially if they’re fleeing and in need of a safe haven.

Of course, Canada should work closely with its allies and do whatever it can to stop trade with Russia, freeze the assets of the oligarchs and make Putin pay for his actions.

Plus, we have a voice within NATO and the G7. We should use it wisely, and by all accounts, we have — pushing hard for our allies to take tougher measures against Putin personally. The vise was tightened considerably Friday on the Russian president and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, as Canada moved in lockstep with the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union to target the Russians’ travel and assets.

But Putin and Lavrov don’t appear to have much wealth in Canada, nor do they visit often. Or ever.

There’s been a lot of talk about more shrewdly using Canadian energy to undercut Russian energy sales to Canada, most recently from Premier Doug Ford.

But that’s a non-starter. We can’t turn off the taps of Russian oil and gas flowing into Canada, mainly because at last glance, there was none to speak of.

And we can’t really ramp up our production of our own oil and gas to send to Europe so that it doesn’t depend on Russia anymore. That’s because we don’t have the capacity right now to do so, and we can’t turn on a dime.

Instead, where we can make a difference is on the Ukraine side of the battle.

Given our deep personal ties to Ukrainian people, our unity of purpose here in Canada, and our collective willingness to take in large numbers of migrants, we can actually hope to make a material mark on that front.

Thousands of people are already lining up at Ukraine’s borders, with cars backed up for kilometres at border crossings. The United Nations’ refugee agency has estimated that 100,000 people have left their homes, and that number may climb to four million — an enormous humanitarian catastrophe by any measure.

Neighbouring countries have guaranteed their protection and are offering help. But the pressure on Canada to pitch in is intense, and that’s something we can do if we put our minds to it.

Canada has made a start down that path. The federal government has set up a dedicated phone line and said it will quickly issue the paperwork that Ukrainian Canadians, their families and permanent residents need. Immigration Minister Sean Fraser said Friday his department had already prioritized 2,000 applications from Ukrainians to come to Canada, and Ottawa said it would match personal donations to the Red Cross for humanitarian aid within Ukraine.

Fraser recognizes there’s pressure to do much more, as the Canadian public reels with the tragedy unfolding in Ukraine and wants to step up. Ontario has offered up 20,000 jobs, and advocates want to see more flexible family reunification and sponsorship rules and more resources in order to expedite applications.

Ottawa says everything is on the table. But the government’s track record is shaky, having just recently over-promised and under-delivered for people fleeing Afghanistan. Last year, Canada offered to bring in 40,000 Afghan refugees but has so far welcomed fewer than 8,000.

This time it’s different, the federal ministers say, because Canada has arranged safe passage through neighbouring countries, it’s easier to escape Ukraine than it was to flee Afghanistan, and Canada has learned a thing or two from the Afghanistan experience about how to move people quickly.

We can hope they’re right and Canadians’ drive to help out in Ukraine finds a practical solution.

It’s not all up to governments. Every household in Canada will need to be prepared to pay a small, personal price for taking on Russia. Economists say the result of harsh sanctions that cut Russia off from global markets will be rising prices for the goods we’ve already seen soar in cost over the past few months: energy, grain, commodities and anything made out of those products.

Inflation has been enemy number one for political partisans since last fall, and it’s been particularly painful for those who have a tough time making ends meet. The Ukraine conflict will undoubtedly make it worse. If the sanctions against Russia actually work, the price will be worth it.

Read more on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

The Star’s latest coverage of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

Why is Russia invading Ukraine? Everything you need to know

What are Canada’s sanctions against Russia and how do they stack up to other countries’?

What is SWIFT and why haven’t countries expelled Russia from it yet?

Does China support the Russian invasion of Ukraine?

What role did Ukraine’s desire to join NATO play in Putin’s decision to invade the country?

A list of Russian allies during the Ukraine invasion and the reasons they support the aggression

Heather Scoffield is the Star’s Ottawa bureau chief and an economics columnist. Follow her on Twitter: @hscoffield