观点/评论：加国副总理方慧兰致力于倡导乌克兰独立 推进民主进程

在乌克兰民主勇敢地抗击俄国入侵之际，加拿大的乌克兰族裔显示出非凡的坚韧和毅力。这个具有140万人口的社区中的很多人士都有抗击苏联统治的背景。 有些人是在专制政权下逃离的政治流亡者的后裔，而另一些则是在苏联解体后参加了乌克兰早期建设的人士。面对俄罗斯对其家乡发起的侵略战争, 他们在加拿大各地举行抗议活动，谴责侵略者的野蛮行径，并呼吁民主社会团结一致，对俄罗斯采取严厉制裁措施。通过捐款，抗议和在线请愿活动等，他们表达了抗击俄罗斯暴行，向往独立，自由的强烈心声，给与前线奋勇抗敌的父老乡亲们提供巨大的支持。这支强大的政治势力的领导人之一就是加拿大副总理方慧兰。

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Ethnic Ukrainians in Canada have shown uncommon resilience and courage as their homeland counterparts fight for Ukraine's independence. Many members of this 1.4 million-strong Ukrainian Canadian community have a background of anti-Sovietism. Some are decedents of political exiles escaping from the communist tyranny, while others have helped build young independent Ukraine after the Soviet Union fall. In the face of Russians' aggression against their home country, they rallied across Canada, denouncing the barbaric acts and calling for solidarity and harsh sanction. They've stood up in defiance of Russia through donations, protests, and online petitions, giving the best support possible for Ukraine's freedom. One of the leaders of this formidable political force is our vice PM—Chrystia Freeland.

置身于乌克兰独立和解放事业的方慧兰凸显乌克兰族裔对独立和自由的强烈渴望。 早在求学期间，二十几岁的她就踏上了反苏联统治的征途。作为一名国际学生在基辅学习期间，她就为西方国家来访记者牵线搭桥，提供资料，在他们发表的无数有关非俄罗斯公民的反苏斗争之新闻报道中都有她的贡献和足迹。



Freeland's remarkable commitment to Ukraine's liberation has best reflected ethnic Ukrainians' strong desire for independence. She started her anti-Soviet journey as a gusty twenty-something Ukrainian Canadian. While studying in Kyiv as an international student, she worked as a fixer for visiting journalists from Western countries, leaving her fingerprints on countless news stories about non-Russian citizens' struggles in the Soviet Union.

作为一个年轻而充满活力的乌克兰裔加拿大人，方慧兰在苏联统治时期是倡导民主事业和乌克兰独立的活跃人士。为了获得西方的经济支持，她迫使苏联公民举行游行和集会，并通过她在乌克兰的联系人为独立活动提供现金和关键通讯设备。克格勃对她的行动愤怒有加，将她严密监视起来。他们跟踪她，黑客她的电子邮件，窃听和监听她的电话，甚至在她的朋友圈里插了一个克格勃密探。但精明的方慧兰巧妙地躲过了克格勃所有特务行动，并通过在莫斯科的一名加拿大外交官将秘密资料发送到国外。克里姆林宫在莫斯科机场发现她行李中的反苏材料后，拒绝她的进入苏联国境。但方慧兰绝不放弃她反对俄罗斯政权的使命。在被选为加拿大国会议员之前，作为一名记者，她经常对克里姆林宫提出尖锐批评，称普京为独裁者，是“非常危险”之人。三十年后，俄罗斯禁止作为加拿大国会议员的方慧兰涉足俄罗斯。



As a young and exuberant Ukrainian Canadian, Freeland advocated for independent Ukraine during the Soviet period. She coerced Soviet citizens into staging marches and rallies to attract Western support and delivered cash and critical communication equipment to her contacts in Ukraine. Her activities drew the ire of the KGB, which put her under heightened surveillance. They tailed her, hacked her emails and bugged and tapped her phones, and even inserted an informer into her inner circle. But sophisticated Freeland had savvily avoided all the spying efforts, sending out classified information abroad through a Canadian diplomat in Moscow. After discovering anti-Soviet materials in her luggage at a Moscow airport, Kremlin denied her entry. But Freeland continued to stand up against the Russian regime. As a journalist before being elected as an MP, she gave frequent, sharp criticism against Kremlin, calling Putin an authoritarian and very dangerous. Thirty years later, Russia banned Freeland –a Canadian politician from setting her foot on the country.

随着方慧兰政治地位的攀升，她的反对专制，主张独立的活动给俄罗斯造成更致命的打击。 自普京开始对乌克兰开战以来，她联盟内阁，促使西方盟国对俄罗斯采取严厉制裁，致使七国集团对俄罗斯采取极端措施。 西方盟国的行动阻止了俄罗斯主要银行使用Swift 全球支付系统，使普京无法动用他的6400 亿美元的外汇和黄金储备资金为入侵乌克兰部队提供其急需供给。 制裁令还对俄罗斯经济造成了严重打击，随着主要利率的飙升，卢布大幅贬值。



Freeland's anti-Russia efforts have created much more devastating impacts as she rose in political power. She has taken the leading role, rallying her cabinet colleagues to facilitate allies' sanctions against the perpetrator since Putin started the war against Ukraine, resulting in G7's extreme measures against Russia. The Western allies' response blocked Russian key banks from the Swift global payment system, depriving Putin of access to his war chest -- the $640 billion of foreign exchange and gold reserves. It has dealt a severe blow to the Russian economy, leaving the Rouble devalued sharply as the policy interest rate soared.

半个多世纪以来，不断增长的专制政权势力以及贪婪和自私的日益扩张给民主价值观造成严重威胁，也将自由民主的社会秩序置于危险境地。 在这场暴政与自由的国际斗争中，方慧兰一直致力于推进全球的民主进程，阻止法制和自由秩序遭到进一步的破坏。作为加拿大第二号掌权者，她带领加国克服道路上的重重障碍，并同时呼吁西方国家在专制政府的恶行面前力挺乌克兰和推进民主。方慧兰是所有持民主信念者的榜样，鼓舞和激励着他们的信仰，既自由和法制必胜，而专制和独裁将永远没有市场。



The growing power of the authoritarian system and the culture of greed and selfishness have increasingly threatened democracy values for over half a century, putting the Liberal order in peril. Amidst the struggle between tyranny and freedom, Freeland has been committed to reinforcing the Liberal order, preventing democracy in the world from deteriorating further. As the second most powerful woman in Canada, she helped lead the country to navigate a precarious reality while calling for the Western countries to stand up for Ukraine and democracy in the face of the aggression. She is a source of inspiration and pride for all who believe autocracy and dictatorship will never triumph over freedom and the rule of law.