Hello, everyone.
I’m so pleased to be here with you today.
Thank you, Chancellor Scholz, for welcoming us so warmly, but thank you also right off
the top for your tremendous leadership in a difficult time, whether it has been being
incredibly strong on sanctions and punitive actions towards Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin
for their absolutely abhorrent behaviour, or whether it’s with your support for Ukraine.
It has been a joy to work with you these past many weeks on making sure that we are responding
strongly to this threat, not just to friends, but to the very fabric of our democracies.
I am very happy to be joined here today by our Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland
and by our Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister Mélanie Joly.
And the meetings that we had and the lunch we just had was extremely beneficial and effective.
Canada and Germany stand together against Putin’s invasion.
He represents a threat to democracy, to security, and to peace in Europe and around the world.
This morning I spoke with President Zelensky, and I highlighted once again the strength
and determination of the Ukrainian people and told him that Canada will soon be sending
highly specialized equipment to them, and invited him to address Parliament in Canada,
and he accepted.
Canada and Germany are working closely together to support the Ukrainian people and their government.
We have sent military equipment, we are reinforcing NATO, we are sending humanitarian aid, and
we have implemented extremely severe sanctions to punish Putin, the oligarchs and accomplices.
Today I am announcing an additional $50 million to send military equipment to Ukraine.
Today I can announce an additional $50 million-worth of equipment that we will be sending towards
Ukraine to help out.
But more than just the challenge in Ukraine, there’s a larger challenge around protecting
and standing up for our democracies, both internally and externally, and that means
fighting disinformation.
We need to work together to defend and strengthen democracy for everyone in our countries.
So today, I can announce that Canada is renewing the G7 Rapid Response Mechanism.
The RRM was first introduced at the G7 in Charlevoix that we hosted four years ago to
strengthen coordination between countries submitted to influence and disinformation
from foreign actors.
It responds to threats from people who want to undermine our democracies, including through
disinformation.
In addition, $3 million will be provided to tackle Russian disinformation about Ukraine
specifically.
We need to stand up for truth and be vigilant against disinformation that tries to mislead
us, and more, tries to divide us.
The crisis in Ukraine demonstrates the importance of energy security and the need to accelerate
the green transition.
Chancellor Scholz and I spoke about what is being done to connect Canadian and German
companies and investors, with a particular focus on hydrogen.
We also talked about the essential minerals being used in battery technology and advanced
technologies, and we highlighted the importance of having safe and resilient supply chains
among friends.
Canada and Germany are aligned in our ambitious goals to reach net zero.
We know that building a clean economy has the potential to expand trade, to grow the
economy, and create good middle-class jobs and careers on both sides of the Atlantic.
So, we’re working with Germany to expand the adoption of carbon pricing around the world.
I was pleased to join Chancellor Scholz’s G7 Climate Club Proposal, because this is
about building a safe, healthy future for our kids and grandkids, both with cleaner
air and better opportunities for them to succeed.
Tomorrow I will be in Poland to discuss the situation and the worsening refugee crisis.
And of course, Canada will continue to work with partners in Europe to defend democracy,
to support Ukraine, and to build a safe and prosperous future for everyone.
Thank you for everything, Olaf.