The Harper government is pouring millions of dollars into a series of democracy-promoting initiatives and programs intended to build a western-style bureaucracy, spending that’s over and above Canada’s recent commitment to training Ukrainian combat troops. Ottawa’s contribution — over $49 million — is an attempt to fight Kremlin influence with grassroots ideology rather than tanks, artillery and troops.
That money is in addition to $9.2 million invested through a partnership with Poland, announced with much fanfare in April 2014, designed more generally for east European countries.