(Ottawa) Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly condemns Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilians as “shocking and inhumane” and says new Canadian sanctions are coming against Russia.
Posted at 2:35 p.m.
Updated at 4:13 p.m.
Melanie Joly was speaking in Helsinki on Monday, where her Finnish counterpart, Pekka Haavisto, echoed the condemnation as possible war crimes against Ukrainian civilians were reported.
Mme Joly says Canada will support the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) investigation into Russia’s conduct since its invasion of Ukraine.
“We will continue to work with the International Criminal Court because it is completely unacceptable. It’s shocking, it’s inhuman, what’s happening in Ukraine right now,” she said.
Russia is facing renewed global outrage after reports of atrocities against Ukrainian civilians emerged at the weekend as Russian troops withdrew from towns they occupied around Kyiv.
After visiting the town of Bucha, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said genocide had taken place and called for tougher sanctions against Russia.
“We absolutely must have more sanctions,” said Minister Joly. There will be more sanctions that will be put in place against oligarchs, entities, therefore Russian and Belarusian companies. »
She said she plans to follow up with G7 partners, saying this group of major democracies must do more to isolate Russia.
“These are clearly war crimes,” she added. These are clearly crimes against humanity. And it is important that Canada plays its part in ensuring that these acts are held to account, and these acts cannot go unpunished. »
Canada sent half a dozen RCMP officers to The Hague to assist the ICC. Mme Joly and Mr. Haavisto said it was important that evidence collection begin soon. It was unclear what role, if any, the Canadian contingent would play, as they now work under the authority of the ICC prosecutor’s office.
“First of all, it is very important to understand that war also has rules. And the rules are set by the Geneva Convention. And if you break these rules, you are committing war crimes. And here is what appears to have happened in Bucha,” Mr. Haavisto said.
The House of Commons unanimously passed a motion by NDP Foreign Affairs Critic Heather McPherson condemning Russian actions in Boutcha, where mass graves were discovered. The motion calls for new sanctions and for Russia to be held accountable before the ICC. Members of the House then observed a minute of silence.
“Three hundred bodies, many of them women and children, have been found, which confirms once again that crimes against humanity and war crimes are being committed by the Russian Federation, declared the door- NDP Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Heather McPherson, in a statement. Besides the unconscionable massacre of civilians, there are also reports of sexual violence committed by the Russian military against women and children. These heinous acts demand action. Vladimir Putin and the Russian military must not be allowed to get away with it. »
US President Joe Biden called Russian President Vladimir Putin a butcher, but refrained from calling the situation a genocide.
In Helsinki, M.me Joly also reaffirmed Canada’s support for Finland’s entry into NATO’s 30-nation military alliance.
She also visited the European Center of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats and sought to strengthen cooperation in the Arctic. Finland and Canada are among the eight countries of the Arctic Council, and Russia was the chair. But after the invasion, the remaining members said they were taking a break from council work due to Russia’s actions.
“We want to make sure we have a multilateral approach, as the Arctic Council is not meeting at this stage. Because it’s about us maintaining our sovereignty and making sure we protect our land,” said Mr.me Pretty.
She said she also had talks scheduled with the other member countries of the Arctic Council, namely the United States, Sweden, Iceland, Norway and Denmark.
With Emilie Bergeron, The Canadian Press
– With information from Émilie Bergeron