"A big threat to Ukrainian sovereignty": MP Kitchen comments on turmoil overseas

Russia's attack on Ukraine has been widely condemned while producing an immense showing of support for Ukrainians.

Souris-Moose Mountain MP Robert Kitchen echoes both sentiments, after watching things unfold on the news Wednesday night in Saskatchewan.

He called the events unfolding in Ukraine "tragic."

The 2016 census said 13.4 per cent of the Saskatchewan population has ancestry tracing back to Ukraine.

"We have a huge history in Saskatchewan, not only throughout the province but also here in the riding," said Kitchen. "Many young Ukrainians have come to the riding that have family members back there. My heart and prayers are for their families."

Kitchen said this seems even more significant than the 2014 annexation of the Crimean Peninsula.

"They stepped in then, and I guess the thought was, in my mind, when were they just going to expand on that. It's taken them eight years to do that, for whatever the reason may be. And that's unfortunate for the people of the Ukraine and for of Crimea, who were there and basically with the breakdown of the USSR were standing for themselves and rebuilding their nation and rebuilding who they were. Unfortunately now we're seeing it being toppled once again."

The member of the opposition Conservatives said the Justin Trudeau Liberal government should have done more as Russia stationed itself along the Ukrainian border.

"Initially we pushed on them because the Ukrainian government was asking for lethal weapons and equipment to help protect them. And the present government, the Trudeau government, basically gave basically scopes for rifles. Not ammunition for weapons, etc. They gave money. Again, not stepping up to the plate to do what they need to do. We pushed on getting the government to put in tough new economic sanctions against Russian officials, which we have the ability to do. As we've indicated, they should be severe and proportionate to reflect the seriousness of the threats the Russians' actions are against peace and freedom and democracy in Europe."

Kitchen said it would be hard to tell just how much help Ukraine would need to thwart the Russian invasion. 

He said estimates of 130,000 Russian troops being staged outside Ukraine over a week ago, and suggestions of equipment including tanks tell him it would be a serious undertaking for Ukraine to stand up to the pressure.

"Those are things that are a big challenge on the Ukrainian people to defend themselves. When the Russians first recognized Donetsk and Luhansk as independent territories, that itself was a serious breach of international law. So now that they've started to invade and the bombings that we're seeing that I saw on the news last night, this is a big threat to Ukrainian sovereignty as well as the peace and security of the Ukraine."

Kitchen is situated in the southeast Saskatchewan riding as Parliament is not in session until Monday. 

He said he's been in touch with a number of people in the riding with ties to Ukraine, who are filling him in on different aspects of the conflict, while staying abreast of the turmoil through the news.

"I can just well imagine the tragedy and the concerns they have in their mind. It would be, for me, if I was all of a sudden to think if something happened where I am and where my family is. It's got to be very compelling on them and challenging for them emotionally."