A minute of silence for Ukraine at the National Assembly of Quebec | War in Ukraine
Quebec has welcomed 11,000 Ukrainians since the start of the invasion, said Prime Minister François Legault.
Quebec can provide “all kinds of aid” to Ukrainians, Premier François Legault said Thursday, on the first anniversary of Russian aggression.
Indeed, a year ago, Vladimir Putin's troops were engaged in what was supposed to be a blitzkrieg to overthrow the Ukrainian government of Volodymyr Zelensky, but it turned into a war of attrition.
Thursday morning, Mr. Legault met at his office in the capital of the Ukrainians whom Quebec has welcomed as refugees, in particular the grieving family of the girl who was fatally caught in December last in Montreal.
During a short scrum before going to question period, he indicated that Quebec had taken in 11,000 Ukrainians since the start of the invasion, in addition to the forty thousand ethnic Ukrainians who were already living here.
We are very proud of that, he said in the House during the adoption of a motion in support of Ukraine, in the presence of visitors of Ukrainian origin in the stands . Some were red-eyed and crying.
“You fight for your freedom, but you also fight for us, for our freedom also at the same time. Today and until the end of this war, Quebecers will be behind the Ukrainians.
—François Legault, Premier of Quebec
Let us never doubt that an unfortunate outcome would have serious repercussions on our daily lives, predicted Liberal MP Michelle Setlakwe in her speech.
For his part, MP Vincent Marissal, from Québec solidaire (QS), who tabled the motion, spoke of the tons and tons of clothing, medicine and food collected in his riding of Rosemont, where the Ukrainian community is concentrated. , and sent under incredible conditions to Poland and, hopefully, to the front in Ukraine.
Called to articulate his thoughts on what more Quebec could do to help the #x27;Ukraine, the Prime Minister said that we could provide all kinds of aid, without specifying what exactly.
We will continue to welcome [Ukrainians], he added.
The head of government asked Quebecers to show solidarity with Ukrainians.
“We must support them and denounce what Mr. Putin is doing, we must have the whole world behind until it is finished. »
— François Legault, Premier of Quebec
He wore a fabric heart in the colors of the Ukrainian flag in his buttonhole. Many deputies wore a blue and yellow ribbon.
Mr. Marissal's motion recalled the inalienable right of the Ukrainian people to their territorial integrity, hailed their heroic resistance and denounced the armed aggression by Russia.
It also called on governments to do everything in their power to facilitate the arrival of Ukrainian refugees.
The motion was followed by a minute of silence in memory of the victims.
